The Council of Shadows
by HayNet
Summary: Silas survives and is reluctantly pursued by Criminal Psycologist, Chloe Blanc who would rather solve another, more personal case. But will the two collide and send Chloe into the hidden world of upstanding Bishops responsible for the deaths of thousands.
1. Prolog

**The Council of Shadows**

**Author:** HayNet aka Kayleigh M Charman

**Summery:** Criminal Psychologist Chloe Blanc is thrown into the world of Opus Dei, but something in her past has made her cynical of the church and everything it stands for. Only Silas can help her now, his existence hidden from the public to avoid a crisis within the Council of Shadows. Chloe must know use Silas to discover who supported Teabing's mad plot to rid all trace of the bloodline.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Da Vinci Code, both movie and book. Nor do I own any of the characters except Chloe Blanc and Bishop Horus.

Any reference to Opus Dei, Catholism and any other religious subjects are purely fictional for the purposes of this fan fiction. Although I did strive to make sure all information I included about Opus Dei was correct, but if any errors are made, I do apologise.

**!!WARNING!! Scenes involving rape.**

**Rating:**15

**Language:** Frequent/Strong

**Sex/Nudity:** Some/Strong

**Violence:** Frequent/Strong

**Other:** Fantasy/Religious


	2. Petit Poisson

**Chapter One**

**Petit Poisson**

**-oOo-**

The weather in Paris was foul and uninviting, clouds swelled across the sky drawing the eye to the tip of the Louve, it's beautiful pyramid illuminated in the lamps outlining the streets.

Chloe Blanc tightened her jacket across her chest, trying vainly to shield herself from the harsh, biting wind that swept through the narrow streets of the city.

She couldn't believe Jerome had convinced her to walk to DCPJ headquarters this late in the evening. She could have been there sooner, but her old reliable citron had finally let her down and was in her local garage for repairs.

Chloe flipped her dark hair out of her eyes before sprinting up the buildings steep staircase and through the revolving glass doors of the DCPJ office block.

She waved carelessly at the attending night watchman and hurried to the lift that occupied only one other person, a tall male with dark eyes and a bright smile. Chloe didn't return his friendly gesture, only turned her eyes away and pushed a button for the fourth floor.

As she stood in the uncomfortable silence of the metal box, she recalled the urgency in which her godfather, Lieutenant Jerome Collet had called her back into work. Normally she worked on the fifth floor, the Criminal Psychology department, Chloe's own expertise. She had only been back to work for six months, having been forced to take a months leave for 'personal reasons'. She had hoped to slip back into her regular life and had already heated her frozen dinner and poured a glass of wine before the phone rang.

_God_, she sighed, _I wish I hadn't answered that call._

Silently she stared at her reflection in the cool metal doors of the lift. Her hair was slightly ruffled and wind blown, she vainly tried to flatten it down on her head and pulled it straight till it reached just below her breast. Her eyes were dark and shadowed from too many sleepless nights and her skin was unusually pale and tight, especially around her cheekbones. She had lost a fair bit of weight in the last few months, despite the fact she ate three times a day and did little exercise.

Finally the lift stopped on the fourth floor, Chloe strode out into the corridor to the usual sounds of office equipment; phones, fax machines and photocopiers, all whirling and moaning, reminding her that she should be at home.

Her high-heeled shoes clicked against the hard tiled floor until she stopped dead outside the office of her godfather. She rapped her knuckles against the wooden door three times and heard the familiar voice beckoning her in.

As she opened the door, she expected only to see Jerome, but sitting opposite the Lieutenant was Capitain Fache. A man she had met several times before at the small parties her godfather held every now and again. She had never met the Captain at work.

She noticed the way the two men seemed tense and stressed. The usual worry lines on Jerome's brow were evident and his hands were clutched tightly together on his desk. Fache was leaning back against the seat of his chair, his left leg on top of his right, a usually relaxed pose, but he was wringing his own hands and was tapping his polished shoes against the wooden leg of the desk.

"Bonsoir Jerome, Bonsoir Capitaine" she said politely, nodding her head to the two seated men.

"Please Chloe, take a seat," her godfather offered. Curiously, she eyed Fache but removed her coat and perched on the chair next to the Captain.

"You said it was urgent, Jerome?" she pushed, fully aware that she was coming across as a little rude, but she was tired and wanted to go home.

Fache coughed, "Oui, Officer Blanc. We do apologise for interrupting your busy schedule…" Chloe fought back a retort at the sarcastic comment, but let Fache continue, "…but we are currently investigating a case which we may require your assistance in" he added seriously.

Chole was shocked and she could tell from the way that Jerome was looking at her, that it was evident. It was highly unusual practise for someone like her, with a low a status in the DCPJ, to assist in a case with such men as Fache and Jerome. She had only ever been in the field twice in the last two years that she had been in the Psychology Department and that was for small cases that simply needed wrapping up. But if she were to assist the Captain himself, this was big.

"But why me? Surely there is someone better qualified, maybe Monet-"

"We feel it would be of greater assistance if you helped us with this one" Jerome cut in, nervously looking at the captain.

Chloe was not convinced, "I still don't understand. I'm not nearly ready to take on the responsibility-"

This time Fache interrupted her, "The Lieutenant has spent the last two hours trying to convince me to let you assist us with this case. But if you would like to let down the man who has by far more faith in your abilities then me, then please, leave the room. But if you want to get anywhere within the DCPJ, I suggest you stop convincing us you're not good enough for the task and take a look at the case you will helping us with" he raised an eyebrow at Chloe.

She wrung her hands nervously in her lap. She didn't like the way Fache starred her down, it was domineering, and it reminded her of something in her past she would rather forget.

"Fine" she finally said, lifting her chin up defiantly as if she was in charge, "What exactly is the case I will be helping you with, Capitaine?"

She almost scowled when she saw a triumphant smirk creep in the corner of Fache's mouth, but kept her mouth pursed as her godfather passed her a brown file.

Fache began to speak as she flipped open the document, "The man you see there is Sir Leigh Teabing. He was arrested a week ago in London for aiding known criminals, committing four second degree murders, one first degree murder and possessing an illegal firearm"

Chloe's eyes scanned the picture of the elderly man, hardly at all what you'd imagine a dangerous murderer to look like, but she knew more then most that appearances are deceptive. She turned the picture over.

"That is Professor Robert Langdon and one of our own Cryptologists, Sophie Neveu. Their involvement in this case is sketchy at best, but if you read the report you'll know all you need to on them" he added.

Chloe recognised both people in the picture. She had purchased Langdon's book only the other day, she still had yet to read it and was perched on her bedside table at present. Sophie Neveu she had seen once or twice in the building, but not to talk to, from what she had seen, she was a nice person.

Chloe looked up at the two men, "What is this about? I heard on the news about these two. It had something to do with four murders and Opus Dei" she asked as she recalled the news broadcast, she hadn't paid too much attention to it, but she knew that both Langdon and Neveu had been cleared of any charges.

Fache and Jerome looked at one another, "Do you know what Opus Dei is?" Fache asked.

Sophie shook her head, she knew well that Fache was connected to the cult, but she had no background knowledge. Fache leaned forward, preparing himself for a long speech.

"Opus Dei literally means 'Work of God', it's an organisation within the Catholic Church with the soul aim of spreading the word of the Gospel"

Chloe was confused, "But what has this got to do with the case?"

Fache sighed and in details described the whole story of how Teabing had organised the murders of four men with the aid of an assassin and a power group of people within Opus Dei to follow his mad idea that the Holy Grail was a real artifact hiding somewhere in the world.

Chlor found the whole story far-fetched and somewhat alarming. All this talk of Holy Grails and religious groups was hardly her area of expertise. What did Fache plan her to do?

"So you arrested Teabing? The case is closed?" She offered at the end of Fache's long-winded explanation. It didn't occur to her once that the story of the Grail was true, only that some old man, bent on years of obsessive studying had convinced himself that this Priory of Sion had concealed from the world a great secret. But then she had a theory as to why she was sitting here now, listening to this story.

They believed it was true! That's why they called her in instead of Monet, they wanted someone who they could trust and could keep the case quiet, who better then Jerome's goddaughter?

Chloe felt a prickle of anger and she got to her feet, "Capitaine Fache. I know when I am being used. I know you want me to convince Teabing to reveal the location of this Grail. But the whole thing is pure nonsense!" she barked. She was angry that she could be at home right now, watching her television programmes with a glass of wine instead of listening to tall tales and being treated like a fool, but Fache didn't something very unexpected. He slammed his palms on the chair arms and got to his feet.

"Miss Blanc! I assure you that everything you are being told in this office is complete fact! Whether or not the Grail is real, people were willing to kill for it! But Teabing is not the reason you are here, now please, sit down!" he snapped.

Without a word, Chloe sat back down onto her seat, feeling very much like a little girl who had just been told off. She watched looked back at the file in her hand while Fache regained himself and sat back into his own chair.

"Now" Fache began, his voice now level again "The reason you are here is for the very sensitive matter of the people inside Opus Dei called the _Counil of Shadows_, who joined forces with Teabing to murder four innocent people. You maybe well aware that I am Opus Dei, so regulation dictates that I can have nothing to do with this case. But you are right, we do need you not just because of your expertise, but because we can trust you not to make any of this public"

Jerome cleared his throat, Chloe had almost forgotten he was in the room, "I am sorry for dragging you into this business, _mon petit poisson_, but as Fache says, this is a sensitive area. Opus Dei are a powerful sect of Catholism. To appose them openly at this time would be suicide for the DCPJ" he explained kindly.

Chloe slowly nodded her head, "So what is it you want me to do?"

Fache smiled triumphantly which made Chloe want to slap him. She wasn't doing this for him; she was doing it for her godfather.

"We need to find out who in Opus Dei is involved in this secret society bent on killing anyone to do with this Priory of Sion," he explained.

"Any idea where I can start? Do you have a name?" Chloe asked.

Fache nodded, "There is a bishop" he said almost through gritted teeth, Chloe knew the anger was not aimed at her, but at the man he was speaking of, "Aringarosa. He has something to do with it, I am sure, although I have no proof"

"So you want me to convince him to talk?" Chloe asked.

Fache shook his head, "You will not need to. We have another in our custody, he was a monk sent to kill the members of the Priory"

Chloe's eyes almost popped out of her head, "A monk killed four people!" she exclaimed.

Jerome nodded sadly, "So you must be careful, Chloe. Although he calls himself a man of God, he is willing to kill in his Lords name. He is not safe to be with"

Fache waved his friends concern, "Unfortunately he is so far very uncooperative, but if you can get it into his head that he was betrayed by those that he killed for, I'm sure he will be very accommodating"

Chloe nodded, trying to take in all this information. It was hard and her fatigue was not assisting the matter. This was well over her head.

"And the monk? Who is he? It will help if I know a little about him before I interrogate him"

Fache pointed to the file in her lap, she flipped the next page and saw a very short report complete with a picture of a slight man with very pale skin and fair hair. It was clear to see that he was an albino from the clear pink eyes starring back at her from the page.

"His name is Silas" Fache said, "He's waiting next door"

**-oOo-**

**A/N: What do think of the first chapter? Let me know.**


	3. The Healing Process

**Chapter Two**

**The Healing Process**

**-oOo-**

Fache left soon after being assured Chloe would go and speak to Silas before returning home, leaving her alone in the office with her godfather. There was an awkward silence at first.

Chloe didn't know whether to be angry or glad that she was their little spy in this controversial war she had no interest in joining. But she wanted to allow him to speak first, so she could figure out how she felt. Finally after some waiting and fidgeting, he finally spoke.

"I don't know if I made the right decision here, Chloe. Since your parents left I've been doing the best I can for you. Please don't hate me for that" he said sadly. Chloe almost melted under that gaze that she was all too familiar with. It was true her parents had abandoned her at the age of thirteen when they had left her at a girl's boarding school in Paris. She didn't know why they left her and she had no clue as to where they were now. She had no interest in finding them, it was Jerome who had come to her school to tell her she would be spending most of her holidays with him, the rest of the time she remained at the school with the other pupils who's parents were either out of the country or were orphaned. Although she only saw Collet a few times a month out of work, he was as near as a father she could get and for that she was always willing to help him at any opportunity. She owed him that for not abandoning her along with her parents all those years ago.

She still didn't understand why he thought he was making a good decision in assigning her this case, "I'm not angry at you, Jerome" she sighed, which was true, whenever she felt any kind of tinge of unhappiness towards the man she was given flashbacks of all the kindness he had shown her, then her temper automatically went tepid, "I'm just not ready for a case like this. You know I have a completely negative view of religion and I don't know anything about Opus Dei or the church. It's way over my head. I don't want to let you down" she added, voicing her true concern. She had always strived to make Jerome proud, as he was the only person who would be if she made some kind of success. She had always rushed to the phone and called her godfather back at boarding school when she had won an award.

Jerome smiled, "_Mon petit poisson_" he said, calling her by her pet name, "You could never let me down. And what Fache said wasn't entirely accurate. I didn't choose you just because I knew you would keep this whole religious situation under wraps. These past six months have changed you" he said, sadness and pity etched into every line of his face. Chloe had to look away, it was the way everyone looked at her when they found out what she had been through those six painful months ago.

"I've been surviving Jerome, I've been doing what I've had to since I was thirteen. I can handle it," she said defiantly. Jerome nodded but she knew he wasn't convinced.

"I thought a distraction might be the key to the healing process. Keeping your mind on something else, something that will require all your attention. I know you despise God and the church, but this is your chance to learn something new, add something to your credentials" he replied.

Chloe sighed, he was right of course, in her profession she couldn't afford to let her own personal beliefs get in the way of the job. Yes she was as unreligious as you could get because of experiences, but to this Opus Dei, to this Silas, God was everything, so it seemed he would have to be to Chloe, if she was going to solve this case.

"Okay. I'll just go talk to the monk for a minute or two, just to get an idea of how he works" she said, picking up the file from her chair.

"There's one thing, Chloe" Jerome begun, "When the monk was arrested, he was shot by armed police. His patron Aringarosa was at the scene. Fache told him Silas was dead to keep this Council of Shadows from using their influences to get him out of custody. We were very luckily; the monk was so badly wounded we almost lost him. That's why this is such a Godsend, Chloe" he finished.

Chloe nodded, "I understand, which interrogation room is he in?"

After finalising the details with Jerome, she bade farewell and promised to visit him that coming weekend. With her coat slung over one arm and the file tucked under the other, she marched down the corridor listing off all the interrogation room door numbers until she reached number five.

Normally a guard would be standing by to unlock the door for her, but as this case was top-secret, Fache had left her the key with Jerome. Awkwardly she unlocked the door and stepped into the dimly lit room. Without looking at the man chained to the chair in the centre of the small room, she closed and locked the door behind her. Then she walked over to the spare chair perched under the small desk, separating herself from the monk.

She draped her coat over the seat and dropped the closed file on the table before taking a seat. Then she took her first good look at the monk.

The first thing she encountered were his strangely beautiful, yet angry pink eyes surrounded by fair eyelashes. She remained defiant under his gaze and clenched her hands together to get comfortable.

The man, Silas, was incredibly pale, just as the photo detailed. His hair was almost white but was slightly yellow. His face was slightly scarred. There was a deep semi-circle grooved into the flesh under his left eye and a small scar above his lip.

He was wearing a usual prison jumpsuit and his hands were cuffed behind his back. Before, Chloe thought it a ridiculous notion to cuff a monk dedicated to Gods work, and that it couldn't be true he had slain four people, but now as she looked into the hateful eyes, she could definitely see it.

"Hello Silas. My name is Chloe Blanc. I'm from the Criminal Psychological Department, Capitaine Fache has asked me to come in this evening to talk with you" she began with the introduction she had used many times.

She studied Silas' expression, but it still remained the same, he just starred at her silently, his mouth pursed into a thin line as he glared straight into her eyes. She found it rather unsettling, but she didn't let him see it.

"I understand that you haven't got much to say. I do know how often people in your position are asked to repeat their stories several times, but I'm not here to interrogate you or accuse you of anything. I just need you to listen" she said strengthening her voice, "I'll admit religion isn't the strongest of my subjects" she began, leaning back on her chair in a relaxed posture, "But I know that people like yourself are often used as pawns in other peoples games, they convince you that you're doing the work of God but secretly they're doing the opposite" she added.

To her surprise, his gaze lightened somewhat, as if he had registered what she had just said, so she decided to push it, "I understand your patron is a very influential man, but Aringarosa is potentially a dangerous one too. We have evidence to believe he is involved in a secret society called The Council of Shadows. We believe your serves were sold to their partner, a very dangerous man, Sir Leigh Teabing"

Silas seemed to be taking in all she had to say, but he shook his head subtling, "Bishop Aringarosa would never betray me" he growled in an accent she could not place.

Chloe nodded and jotted something down on the notes she had been provided. Apparently it seemed Aringarosa was an important and statual man to Silas. But this also made it hard if she was to convince him to expose the Bishop as a member of this secret society. But then something occured to her. Silas was only a lowly murderer in the eyes of this Council, he was only a monk patroned by a powerful Bishop. Why would he be exposed to the Council? Surely he wouldn't have been allowed anywhere near them.

"Do you know anything about this Council? Have you ever been invited to one of their meetings?"

_I hope I'm right about this_. She thought. But then he disappointed her.

"Miss Blanc," Silas snapped, "I have been held against my will for almost two weeks. I have been denied my robe and denied my right to pray at a church. I will answer no more of your questions until I am given back my rights to repent my sins"

Chloe almost frowned. Repent? What did that mean? She was starting to feel like a complete idiot in front of the monk, which was not how this was supposed to go. She silently cursed Fache for pushing her into the deep end too soon. She felt like she would only make matters worse rather then assist Fache with his secret battle with the Council.

"I'm sorry, Silas, I don't have the authority to orgaise that, but I will speak to Captaine Fache" she said quickly, trying to assure him that his demands were not impossible.

Silas nodded, "Then I will speak to you only when I am satisifed" he said stifly. Chloe didn't like the way he was seemingly in charge of this conversation. It was unnerving, especially the way he kept looking at her.

Chloe decided she could only leave this room on her own terms, not on the monks. She was surprised by how calm he was, which meant she would have to rile him to talk.

"Do you realise how much trouble you are in, Silas? You are implicated in four murders? And because Opus Dei is involved, your patron is automatically a suspect, if you care about him at all, you will tell me what you know about the Council. Now" she demanded.

Silas' eyes darkened and he glared angrily at Chloe, "To even suggest that the Bishop is capable of murder is a sin!"

Chloe smiled, satisifed in his response, "And if I'm a sinner, what does that make you?" she raised an eyebrow as she watched the internal conflict continue behind the albino's pink eyes.

"I did what I had to to protect my family against those blasphemers" he snapped.

Chloe frowned, "You mean the Priory of Sion?" she asked, Silas spat angrily on the ground, obviously disgusted to even hear their name.

"They're nothing but theives and liars" he replied simply leaning back on his chair, "Now, I will say no more until I recieve my rights to repent!"

Chloe watched him for a moment and thought it best to leave now. She had met Silas and was unimaginable frightened, detesting and intrigued by him. Without another word she got to her feet and collected her things. Only then did she turn back to Silas to say, "I will return tomorrow, but think about this; if Aringarosa cares for you so as your Patron. How is it that he doesn't fight for you? Or even visits you?" she rose an eyebrow as he glared at her, then casually walked out of the room. Once she had locked the door, she leaned against it, closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

She had never met anyone that intense before; it scared and interested her at the same time. And those eyes? Those beautiful but vicious eyes.

"Congratulations, Officer Blanc" a voice said.

Chloe jumped and saw Fache stroll towards her with his hands in his pockets, "Oh, Capitaine".

"That was different," he said, stopping a foot from her.

Chloe looked absently at the door she had just exited, "You were watching?" she asked.

"Of course. And he said to you very much what he said to the rest of us. Except I think he's taken a particular dislike to you, Miss Blanc" he smirked.

Chloe sighed, "Like I said before, Capitaine, I am a little out of my league here. But I am doing my best. Perhaps tomorrow will be a bit more productive once I've looked over these notes" she waved the file in the air, "and perhaps had some dinner and sleep" she hinted.

Fache smiled, "Of course, you are free to leave. I look forward to your report tomorrow" he said, "If you'll excuse me, I need to take the prisoner back to his cell" he said, starting to move off.

"Capitaine, about his request? I think it would be a small favour to offer him if he can help us with the case" she asked.

Fache stood still for a moment, then he looked at her from over his shoulder, "If you knew how he repented, you wouldn't call it a small favour. But I will think about it"

Chloe rolled her eyes at the floor and bid him farewell before back tracking her way back to Collet's office. She rapped her knuckles on the door once more, but on finding the office door locked she assumed he had gone home for the evening and set about doing the same thing.

As she walked down the corridor she came across the man she had shared the lift with, he smiled at her again, but she averted her gaze to the floor and hurried right past him back towards the lift. Once there, she checked behind her and let out a reluctant sigh.

_Things are never going to be the same again_, she thought sadly.

And with that, she left headquarters' and flagged down a taxi to take her back to her little dark apartment where her frozen meal was probably ruined and the white wine warmed.

**-oOo-**

**pheonix rising06 - Thanks, glad you're liking it so far. No much to go on at the moment as there is only 2 chapters but glad you think it's got potential.**

**princesse-of-ithilien - Ah, you see I did think of that before I started the story. That's why I have Collet fill in that little plot hole in the beginning of this chapter.**

**daygonna - Thanks! I good start is always a good thing.**

**Laura - Another nice review. Cheers!**

**A/N : Just to avoid repetition. I have read the book and seen the movie. I am aware that Silas dies, but in this fan fiction which is essential AU. Silas is still alive but Aringarosa and the other Council of Shadow's members don't know this. Okay?!**


	4. Old Scars

**Chapter Three**

**Old Scars**

**-oOo-**

Chloe took another swig of her glass of wine and pushed the rest of her cold and gloopy lasagne to the side as she skimmed more pages of the report Fache had given her.

She was astounded by what she was reading and kicked herself for not paying closer attention to the news reports, but what was most interesting was Silas involvement in the whole thing. His history was sketchy, but from what the report told her, he had escaped from prison to arrive half dead on Aringarosa's doorstep. There he turned to his faith and Opus Dei became a family to him. It now became so clear why Silas killed those people. He was doing it for family, just like anyone would kill to protect the ones that nurture and care for us.

As the evening wore on she read further to the medical report. It appeared that along with the bullet wounds the monk had suffered, he also had a number of self-inflicted lacerations on his back and an instrument called a cilice wrapped tightly around his upper thigh. Chloe was forced to resort to her dictionary to find out exactly what a cilice was, and was horrified to find that it's soul purpose was to draw pain to the wearer to sympathise with the torture Jesus suffered. Now she understood what Fache had said about his method of repenting.

After more researching on the internet, she found that this mortification was a method some Opus Dei followers used to feel closer to God, and in some cases, fight the temptations of the flesh and remain celibate to better serve their Lord.

It was almost one in the morning before Chloe had fully consumed all she was going to on Silas, Opus Dei and the case of the Priory of Sion, but now she was so tired and her head swimming with the effects of the wine in her system, that she felt her eyelids give way to gravity.

So she switched off her light on her messy desk and trudged through the small living area to the bathroom to brush her teeth and settled into the comfy sheets and into a drugged sleep.

**-oOo-**

_Everything was dull and dark as she walked swiftly through the narrow cobbled street behind the row of shops. She felt stupid for deciding not to bring her car, but the afternoon had been so bright and pleasant she thought it would still be light when she left her godfathers barbeque party._

_It wasn't as if she hadn't been offered a lift. She had two offers, but she had declined as she got rather car sick when other people drove her, even if her home was only a fifteen minute walk away._

_She hadn't even said goodbye to Jerome, he was busy with some old friends he hadn't seen in a while and she was loathed to interrupt, so she got one of her colleagues to pass the message onto him, grabbed her coat and left._

_Now she wished she had taken someone up on their offer. The darkness seemed to seep like oil into every crevice of her surroundings. She shivered as a cold wind enveloped her and breezed down the back of her neck._

_Strangely she felt the uncomfortable and worrying sensation that someone was with her. She strained her hearing and thought she could hear someone's ragged breathe, but as she turned her head, it instantly silenced. But that didn't stop her from fastening her jacket closer around her and quickening her pace._

_Up ahead she had to walk under a small bridge, the gap below was barely seven feet high and swallowed the ground into a void, which she could not see into. She bit her lip nervously._

_Don't be stupid, she thought, it's only a bridge._

_Quickening her steps, she entered the darkness and heard her footsteps echoing off the brick walls. Her breathing quickened as her heart raced and as she reached halfway she could swear her breathing was getting heavier and louder._

_Before she had a chance to turn around, someone grabbed her from behind, yanking her back by the nape of her jacket. Before she could yell or scream a gloved hand clamped over her mouth as she was dragged back into the darkness._

_Desperatly she tried to hit her asaliant, but no amount of kicking or twisting could get her into a position to do enough damage. She was shoved painfully up against the wall, the hand still over her mouth. She could hear the excited breathing in front of her._

_"Scream and you will die" a man hissed. His voice was deep, and she could only assume by the firm grip he had on him, that he was a big and strong man._

_Sobbing she tried vainly to escape, but the man used his legs to keep her against the wall as he hurridly felt around his own body._

_A flash of light from as passing car illuminated her surroundings in one millisecond, but it was enough for her to see the profile of her attacker. He was a good foot taller then her, broad shoulders under a long, black trench coat. His hair was cut short and was black. His brow was set in an angry glare as he shoved his spare hand in the inside of his pocket. Then it went dark once more._

_Freeing one of her hands from his legs, she pushed out and connected a closed fist against his cheek. The man groaned but did not pull back, instead a hand came rushing towards her and knocked her sideways. As he still had her pinned to the wall, only her top half flew to the side, twisting her back painfully. But in that second his hand was removed from her mouth._

_"I'm a police officer! Get off me!" she screamed into his face, but she was treated to another slap, which momentarily dazed her._

_Something cold and sticky was held over her mouth. She realised he had gagged her with some form of duct tape and was now frantically tearing at her coat._

_Her blood ran cold as his hands felt around her chest, pulling at the new cardigan she had just brought that day for the barbeque._

_Oh God! She thought, he's not looking for my purse_

_She realised what the man intended to do and tried screaming through the gag, kicking, twisting and trying to push herself off the wall but he held her fast and leaned in, running his tongue up her face. Chloe grimaced in disgust, trying to move her face away, but he used his hands to pin it in place._

_"I'm going to have you, bitch!" he growled in her ear and started aggressively pulling away her coat and her cardigan. He began to grope her again, feeling about in the darkness. Chloe almost vomited, but she kept fighting, kept fidgeting despite being completly exhausted already._

_She managed to get another hand free and slammed her fist into his shoulder, but he grabbed it and twisted her around so her front was now pressed against the cold brick wall. Her chest was only covered by her bra and she felt his entire body weight against her back. She heard more duct tape being ripped and her arms were yanked together behind her by the wrists. The tape was twisted and wrapped quickly round them tightly so she couldn't escape._

_Again, her back was slammed again the wall, she saw the opportunity to use her legs, she kicked out and hit him in the groin. Chloe almost cried in relief as he doubled over, giving her the chance to run for the light. But as she got a few steps, something grabbed her ankle, sending her crashing to the hard concrete ground. Her head connected hard with the floor, sending her vision spiralling until it focused in on the looming shadow strandling her._

_Twisted onto her back so she lay painfully on her bound wrists, she was struck again and something sharp was pressed into the flesh just below her left breast. The cold of the knife could not be mistaken. Chloe's eyes widened in fear._

_"If I were you" the man hissed, "I wouldn't do that again!"_

_She felt her belt buckle being tugged, tears of terror were filling her eyes._

_Jerome! Anyone! Help me! She screamed in her head, but no one would hear her. She couldn't believe this was happening to her, a policewoman, a good person. This man ontop of her was defiling her, and she could do nothing to stop it. The only thing that kept her sane was concentrating on the pain of the blade in her chest. As the man on top of her grunted and groaned, pushing painful against Chloe, the knife had entered her as well._

_Chloe only opened her eyes once during the ordeal, a new objective. He may have her now, but she wasn't going to let him get away with it. She wanted to remember every details of his face, every item of clothing he was wearing, his smell anything that she could use later to catch this bastard. And then she saw it, hanging from his neck, glistening in one flicker of a second; a cruxifix hanging from a piece of string on his neck._

**-oOo-**

Chloe awoke screaming for help. She tried to escape the invisible weight that was pushing down on top of her and the legs that were tangled around her own, making it impossible for her to move.

But as the dim light of the sunrise lit through her window, she saw that she was not lying in a pool of her own blood, she was not under a lonely bridge half naked. She was in her bed, crying and sweating profusely with the nightmare she suffered almost every night for six months.

Chloe chocked back a sob and put her hand to her forehead in exasperation.

_When is it going to stop?_ She asked the room. And of course she got no reply, so she resorted to the only source of relief she had found.

Untwisting herself from her sheets, she marched to her bathroom and soaked her sweaty face in cold water. Gingerly she opened the bathroom cabinet and collected with a shaky hand, the sharp razor blade she kept hidden behind a bottle of perfume.

Chloe held her right wrist over the sink and let her eyes roam over the multiple scars imprinted deeply into her flesh. Some were old, the skin bumped and white, but others were only a few days old, still red and raw.

Chloe sobbed again as she took the blade to her wrist and cut into the flesh, she didn't relent until the blood had pooled around the wound and dripped steadily into the basin. Again and again she did this until all her fears were swallowed and drained away with her blood and the throbbing pain it left behind.

Putting away the blade, she washed away the evidence from the basin and careful dabbed the wounds with a tissue.

Chloe knew she would be in serious trouble with the DCPJ if they found out she was self-harming. Especially as she was in the Phsycology department. They would suspend her or worse, fire her altogether, but for some morbid reason, this method of self-harm, calmed her and gave her new wounds to help disguise the old.

Gingerly Chloe lifted her top and saw the hideous scar the rapiest had left her, ripping right from the middle of her chest to the flesh just below her left breast. Thhis was a constant reminder of what she had suffered, and what any woman should not have to suffer.

Chloe had never fully been aware of what happened to her after the incident. She awoke in hospital, Jerome asleep in a chair at her side, holding her hand. She had screamed when she realised she had not just been suffering a nightmare, a nurse rushed to her side as Jerome tried to calm her. Her whole body ached, her wrists were red from the painful tape, her chest was wrapped with gauze and she could not bear to look any lower.

She looked helplessly over to her godfather, whose first words were that they would catch him. She had nodded, knowing she would find the bastard and make him pay. But after she had been released from hospital she had become almost zombie-like, floating about work with the only soul intention of catching the rapist. But no matter how hard she looked, or how many posters she had put up around the city. No one came forward and all leads came to a dead end. She had tried all religious cults, clubs and groups but it seemed as if the man had just disappeared.

Fache had obviously seen her distracted, or Jerome had mentioned her unstableness and forced her to take a month off work to sort her life together. With even less to keep her occupied, she had resorted to finding other means to erase the pain and disgust she felt at being raped by that man. She recalled back to the knife he held to her. The pain was overwhelming, but it gave her something to focus on other then her torment.

Chloe had been very discreet; she now only wore long sleeved shirts and tops. No one had noticed or paid heed, most people felt they needed to keep a distance from her anyway because she was broken and damaged from her ordeal. But here she was, still surviving, but she had been changed. She was now unable to form any kind of relationship with any potential boyfriend. She mistrusted and often despised the opposite sex because of their potential to cause so much pain, minus of course those she knew before her ordeal. Jerome, Fache and several other men she trusted. But now she looked upon almost every male as a potential threat, and it made her sick to think that way.

Chloe undressed and quickly showered before wrapping her wrist in gauze and suiting up for another day at work. Quickly she gathered all her notes and things and hailed a cab to take her to the office.

The usual morning hubbub was already underway. Police cars lined the street, officers walked in and out of the revolving door, men and women in snappy suits did likewise and the whole building seemed to buzz with life. Nothing to the shadow of a place it was the previous evening when most where at home.

Joining the throng into the building, she returned to her usual desk on the fifth floor. She waved a friendly hello to Freya, who sat at the table nearest to her and threw down all the paper work on her desk and swung her coat around her seat.

Quietly she began to skim through her research papers, trying to get her head back into the game, thinking only of Silas and of Opus Dei, but as she re-read the piece about his cilice, she became less sceptical and more sympathetic, because after all, she inflicted pain on herself, but she did it to forget whereas Silas did it to remember.

**-oOo-**

Chloe's request to interview the monk was replied to at mid-day. In that time, Chloe had finished all her other obligations and gathered her notes to join Fache outside the same interrogation room.

"Have you considered his request?" she asked straight away. Fache looked at her hard.

"I'm sure you read the report about the self-inflicted wounds on his body?" he asked. Chloe nodded, consiously pulling her sleeve further down her bandaged wrist.

"I have no problem with that sick bastard sticking barbs into his body, but I do mind having to clear up the mess" he growled. Chloe almost rolled her eyes, "I'm being watched by a lot of powerful people at the moment Miss Blanc. If it gets out that I'm allowing a suspect in my care to purposely harm himself, I could lose more then my job" he said quietly.

Chloe nodded, instantly understanding what he meant. Silas' existance was known only to those who needed to know in the DCPJ. And those above Fache knew must know his conection to Opus Dei. Silas was an Opus Dei monk that had commited murder. If something went wrong and Silas ended up dead or near death, they would think Fache was trying to take revenge on Silas for besmerching the name of Opus Dei. It was a very, very sensitive situation. But she didn't have any choice, Silas was not a man to be bargained with, the only way she got him to talk was by riling him, and if she continued to do that, she would only end up convincing him not to talk.

"If it's done descreetly, Captaine Fache, it could be possible" she replied. Fache nodded to show he was listening, "I could stay with him while he repents and clear the mess up afterwards" she added.

Fache seemed to be entertaining the idea. Of course it was the last thing Chloe wanted to spend her time doing. But she had no choice if she was going to solve this case, and to honest with herself, she would onyl be stewing at home, praying not to have another terrible nightmare.

"You've got a deal, Blanc. It'll have to be in the cell block, away from the other officers. I don't want this getting back to anyone. But do it tonight, after hours, I'll make sure you're not disturbed"

Chloe nodded with relief and watched as he unlocked the door beside her.

"I'll give you ten minutes," He hissed through the small gap in the door before closing it completely.

Chloe saw Silas sitting in the same position as last time, almost as if he had been there all night. She stifled a yawn as she sat before him once more and eyed him curiously.

He still had a lot of anger in his eyes, which he administered to Chloe quite contently.

"Did you confirm with you Captain about my request?" he asked.

Chloe sat down once more, "Yes, he has agreed to it, but I will be there to monitor you. That is his only objection" she replied. Silas growled.

"I pray and repent in solitude, I allow no one to witness" he said, his palms open on the desk top.

Chloe almost scoft, "I assure you, Silas, I don't particularily want to witness you torture yourself, but if you want to repent at all this is how it will be done. Take it or leave it" she said.

She knew she was being brash by talking to him so forcefully and giving him an altermatum. But she had discovered this man responded to force, and she was playing his game.

Silas pursed his lips but finally nodded, "I agree to your terms, Miss Blanc"

Chloe almost signed in relief, but didn't want to show it in front of Silas. It seemed that she wasn't as rubbish at this as she thought she would.

"I was hoping you had been thinking about what I said to you last night" Chloe began, "About Aringarosa"

Silas was still and calm, his face unreadable which fustrated Chloe some. She had never met anyone who could be so hot-tempered one moment, then as cool as ice the next. She was amazed by him, even though she would never admit that allowed.

But he leaned across the table, capturing Chloe's eyes in his own, those amazingly pink eyes.

"Miss Blanc, the only way I could believe the Bishop betrayed me, is if he said it so to me himself" he said with almost a smug smirk tugging on the corner of his mouth.

Chloe starred back, refusing to be looked down. She was surprised at how comfortable she felt around him. She didn't fear his glance as much as other mens as they looked at her, but she presumed that was because he was a celebate monk, hardly likely to rape anyone. Somehow he just didn't seem to be as much of a threat.

"Do you think after you shot him he possibly saw you for the murderer you are and decided you were a lost cause" she said cooly.

The shadow of the smirk that had been on his face was cleaned right off, "Never. It was an accident, the Bishop would know that" he bit angrily.

Chloe shrugged, "Maybe that's why he refuses to visit, did you think of that? You shot the one man who took you in and now he's left you in the hands of the law. You have no loyalty to the Council, Silas. They want you to take the blame for the murders so they can slip back into the shadows. Aringarosa is one of them and you gave him a reason to abandon you when you nearly killed him"

Silas suddenly jumped to his feet in a rage, "Never! he would never do that! He is a man of God and God encourages forgiveness, don't speak such lies to me!" he shouted.

Chloe was taken back. She had gone too far this time. Now she realised he wouldn't give her anymore information today, he hated her too much right now.

Silently she got to her feet, then she turned to look into his burning red eyes, "I will return this evening so you can pray, Fache has promised you privacy" she said and calmly strolled from the room.

Again Fache was waiting outside for her, "Well that went well?"

"It worked didn't it, Captaine?"

"If you mean pissing him off, then oui, it did work" he replied with a smirk.

Chloe sighed, "I mean he's willing to cooperate. Why else would he offer information in exchange for repenting?"

"Because he enjoys torturing himself?" Fache offered

"I'm surprised you didn't just try to beat the answers out of him, Captaine Fache," she asked as the man reached for the door handle.

"And you think I didn't? Have to seen the wounds on his back and thighs. That man needs pain, we'd only be doing him a favour" he smirked and disappeared into the room.

Chloe put together all her things and headed back to her desk to do more research and try and think of some way to get him to talk.

**-oOo-**

**Phoenix rising06 - Thanks, it's just something I've been thinking about for a while since seeing the movie. Coz you don't actually see Silas die, only mortally wounded. Of course the book does say he dies, but for the sake of my fan fic I'm just looking over that small detail!**

**RaeAngel - Brief but pleasant. Thanks!**

**A/N: I'm having a few problems trying to choose which version of Aringarosa to use. The one in the book was a good man, just being used like Silas was, but in the movie he was far greedier and sinister in his plot to kill Sophie. Any idea which one I should use? Let me know!**


	5. A Reason

**Chapter Four**

**A Reason**

**-oOo-**

Chloe stayed behind her desk and watched as everyone working on her floor eventually pour out of the office to return home for the evening. She remained behind, pondering exactly what she was going to encounter in the cell.

She had never seen anyone inflict pain on themselves, minus of course herself, but she did it in the privacy of her own home and was ashamed to let anyone see the scars. Silas was almost proud of torturing himself in the Lords name, or repenting as he had called it. But if it got her that much closer to finding the truth about the Council, she would have to put up with whatever self-mutilation Silas exposed her too.

Tired, she checked the clock, it was almost seven in the evening, and still one person remained in the office and Fache had not yet come for her. She pulled the keyboard towards her and painfully typed into a search engine all the words she could think of that might help her narrow down the search for her rapist.

Chloe did this almost everyday, but still the same meaningless pages turned up about religious groups that she had researched and visited trying to match the face of the rapist to those who compromised its membership. But her heart always welled and the pain of her attack returned and left her feeling as empty and hollow as she had that fateful night.

She was scanning the pages of _Frances Most Wanted_, when Fache tapped his knuckles on the wood of her desk. She snapped her eyes up to him and it was clear he had been standing there for quite some time.

"Oh, Captaine. Je suis docile. I was miles away" she forced a smile. Fache nodded.

"Silas is downstairs" he handed her a key, "His discipline and cilice are in a box by the door. Don't forget to clear the mess up afterwards," he said in a hushed tone.

Chloe nodded and took the key from his hand before hastily switching off her computer and marching down the stairs to the holding cells. It was a long corridor, terrible cold bars reached from floor to ceiling, separating the criminals for their captors.

Gingerly she looked into the nearest one, Silas was sitting on the ground, his head in his lap, almost as if he were praying, his hands were uncuffed. Chloe lifted the parcel sitting on the floor, which she picked up.

On hearing the noise, Silas raised his head and glared at her through the bars. Chloe ignored the hateful look as she unlocked the door and was careful to close it after her. She dropped the box by her feet and kicked it towards the monk. He looked at it briefly, then back up at Chloe.

"The items you requested are in there. You have ten minutes to do whatever it is you want to. Then you're to hand them back. Is that clear?" she said.

Silas glared at her, "You will turn your back, woman" he ordered, grabbing the box and pulling it closer to him.

"Gladly" she muttered and left the cell, making sure to lock it after her. She turned her back on the prisoner, but she could hear him rifling around in the box.

She sighed as she stood on the spot, hugging herself from the small draft that floated through the corridor. She looked around her, she had only been down here once before, and that was to give Jerome a report he needed. She had always been uncomfortable with the shadows in the cells corners and the cold air. It reminded her of the bridge.

Chloe jumped as she heard Silas gasp in pain, without thinking she turned her head and saw the monk leaning over on one knee, he had pulled one of the trouser legs of his jumpsuit up to his thigh and had wrapped the cilice tightly around his leg. He had pulled a leather strap to tighten the contraption. Chloe saw blood trickle down his leg and onto the floor.

Silas turned his pained eyes towards her, but he instantly growled, "Look away!"

Chloe snapped her head around, "Jesus!" she whispered as the monk began to mutter a prayer under his breath.

Uncomfortable, listening the monk in pain, she began pacing up and down the isle. Then she heard the sharp slapping of the discipline across the monks back and his fast silenced yelps of pain. Chloe shook her head, something boiling in the pit of her stomach.

_What a fool_, she thought, _torturing himself for a God that doesn't exist_.

She was angry that Silas made his self-harming public, that he wasn't ashamed of it, while she hid her own scars. She was angry that the monk was stupid enough to fall for the ridiculous traditions of Opus Dei. And she was angry that he had no real reason to do this to himself, but she did.

Finally after the fifth crack of the discipline, the cell fell silent but for Silas' heavy breathing. Chloe impatiently marched to the cell door and saw the monk bending over himself, sitting still, his back and leg exposing new wounds over the old ones.

_I hope it's worth it_, Chloe thought, _stupid idiot_.

Yanking the cell door open, Chloe grabbed the discipline from the floor and threw it into the box; she turned her attention to the monk.

"Happy now? You think your God can forgive you for your crimes because you've shed your own blood?" she said harshly, unable to hold in her rage.

Silas looked up at her briefly, "My God?" he whispered in exhaustion, "The God of us all" he added.

Chloe stormed over to the desk and retrieved the first aid kit, "Not my God, I don't believe in anyone who would demand pain from me," she snapped, ripping open a bag of cotton wool and pouring a few drops of TCP on it. She moved forward and carelessly dabbed at the wounds. But Silas pulled away and pulled himself up to full height. Chloe was alarmed to see how much taller he was then her, but she didn't let it show on her face. Then Silas lashed out, grabbing Chloe by the neck and pushing her against the wall. His face was inches from her own and she could see the anger etched into his pale features.

"You dare blaspheme in front of me, woman" he spat.

Memories flashed back into Chloe's mind as she felt the monks grip tighten on her throat. Her fear was indescribable as she recalled those cold fingers, his body pressing against hers, his hissing voice describing what he was going to do to her.

"No!" she gasped. Trying to pry his fingers from her neck, "Please!" she begged.

Something in Silas' eyes seemed to register her fear and his grip lessened. Chloe didn't realise a tear had made its way down her cheek.

"Step away from her!" a voice ordered.

Silas turned his head and saw Fache posed by the door, his weapon unholstered and pointed at his head.

Chloe felt a huge surge of relief run over her like cold water, Silas' hand unclasped from her throat causing her to almost fall to the ground as her head spun.

"Miss Blanc?" Fache asked.

Slowly Chloe got to her feet, she starred at Silas who was looking intently at the Captain. Without another word she gathered herself and stormed out of the cell, Fache grabbed her by the arm before she could leave.

"Are you hurt?" he asked, he gun still trained on the monk.

Chloe looked over his shoulder at Silas, who starred back at her. She still felt the shadow of that fear in the back of her mind. He had made her feel that fear, he brought back that terrible night. She looked back at Fache and felt anger towards him for forcing her to take the case.

"I quit Capitaine. Find someone else to use" she hissed and twisted her arm out of his grip before running to the exit.

**-oOo-**

Chloe had fled from the building with all her anger, pain and sadness pent up inside her small frame.

She had hated herself for failing under the monk's glare. He knew now that he was stronger and in control, she had lost her authority over him. But she didn't care right now, she just wanted to go home and drink herself in a stupour so that she might forget this day ever happened.

Chloe was forced to get a taxi again, and as she leant back against the seat, she recalled the pure unsaddled hatred in the monk's eyes. He really believed he was dong the right thing by chastising himself and he almost killed her because she was sceptical of his practise and beliefs.

There was no doubt in her mind that the man could kill. And for that, Chloe hoped he went away for a long time. He deserved nothing less.

But then she remembered the regret in his eyes as she pleaded for him to stop. It was if her words had soothed the monster he had become and opened his eyes to the foolishness of his action. He had attacked a policewoman. And one who was supposed to clear his name. Silas had sealed his own fate and Chloe was not going to be made to feel guilty about that.

Besides, what did it matter to her? So what if the Council of Shadows were not revealed? They had already killed the four important members of this Priory of Sion, what more damage could they do? But Chloe knew this argument wasn't sound, she was just too angry and emotional to see the truth.

After paying the taxi driver, she entered her lonely apartment and found her answering machine flashing.

Loathed to answer it, she did anyways and heard the familiar voice of Captaine Fache, "_Officer Blanc. Come to my office first thing tomorrow morning to discuss tonight's incident. No excuses_" and then the message ended.

Chloe growled and threw her jacket on the sofa and headed to her small kitchen for a glass of wine.

The Captain's words rang in her head. He wasn't happy, but neither was she. She was doing this case as a favour for Fache, she had no obligation to go behind the backs of Fache's superiors to do the Captains job for him. He could go to Hell if he threatened to fire her over her behaviour. She had rights, and because she was the goddaughter of his friend, he had no right to exploit them.

Chloe grabbed the bottle of wine and took it with her to the sofa, draining the first glass in a few gulps.

Unwanted images flashed before her eyes.

_Hands tearing at her clothes. Fingers entwining in her hair. The smell of booze and cigars on his breath. The feel of his tongue as it ran down her face. The blood pooling around her body. The cold as she lay exposed on the ground._

Chloe sobbed and allowed the dam holding her emotions in check to break. She cried for her innocence, she cried for her pain, she cried for being broken.

_Nothing will ever be the same again_. She thought, and after the sixth glass of wine, she finally dozed off into a fitful and nightmarish sleep.

**-oOo-**

**fabala4077 - Thanks for your suggestion. I'm still pondering on it. Aringarosa will be coming in the picture some time soon, the plot is slowing coming together in my mind and I think it would benefit the story if he was actually the Aringarosa in the book. But watch this space!**

**phoenix rising06 - Thanks mate, just like fabala4077, I think the book version is more popular.**

**A/N: You've probably noticed that I've rewritten the last two chapters. That was because I didn't think they portrayed Silas in the way that I wanted to. It was bugging me for days that it just didn't feel right. I hope the changes are an improvement, so let me know!**


	6. Cloud of Guilt

**Chapter Five**

**Cloud of Guilt**

**-oOo-**

With a groan, Chloe opened her eyes to the harsh sunlight penetrating through the curtains.

Her head was thumping, her mouth was dry and she felt empty with sickness. Cursing her stupidity for drinking an entire bottle of wine, she stumbled to the bathroom in a vain attempt to wash away her fatigue and nervousness at what Fache wanted to talk to her about that morning.

The shower, however, did little to make her feel refreshed, so she downed two aspirin and quickly put a bit of extra make up around her eyes to make them look less droopy. It was then she noticed the red bruising around her neck where the monk had grabbed her. Gently she ran her fingertips over the wounds and her anger at the monk rose, but it reminded Chloe to check her other wounds. She took the gauze off of her wrist and squinted as the material peeled away from the cuts, reopening them.

"Merde" she hissed and went to find more gauze. Normally Chloe would let the cuts air out, but she was now even more protective of her wounds after seeing Silas torture himself the night before. She couldn't help but compare the two of them and their self-inflicted wounds; it angered her to think she could have anything in common with that murderer, especially after the attack.

Once satisfied with the new bandage, Chloe pulled her white sleeve over the gauze and ran about her apartment to gather her things. She checked the time and thought it would be quicker to walk to work rather then wait for a taxi, so hurriedly, Chloe hauled her jacket over her shoulders and rushed out of the building.

As she walked to work in the brisk cold of the October month, Chloe's stomach churned with both the lack of food, the wine and the nervousness of facing up to what happened that night. She still didn't want to work on the case, she had meant that. But she knew Fache wasn't going to let her off that easy, if anything he was going to shout, rant and rave until he finally got his way. That was the kind of man Fache was. Chloe couldn't go to Jerome, he was under the Capitaine and he too thought it would be best for Chloe to handle the case, but for all together different reasons to the Capitaine. But completely the opposite had happened, the case hadn't kept her mind off the last six months, if anything it heightened her fear and depression. She should have put her foot down in the first place; this case was going to make her insane.

Chloe hurried up the steps to the DCPJ and jammed herself into the lift with several other people. While she stood there in the uncomfortable silence, she thought if Fache had told her godfather about the attack, but she knew if he had, Jerome would have been round to her place straight away to make sure she was okay. So that meant Jerome wouldn't be in Fache's office this morning, waiting to scold her on her behaviour. She was completely on her own.

Finally the lift stopped on the fourth floor and Chloe exited with three other people. With a deep breath, Chloe pulled back her shoulders and tried to paint a mask over her face to hide the obvious fear, fatigue and pain she always felt.

For a second or two she paused as she stood in front of the Capitaine's office. Her hand slowly raised to knock on the door and after mental berating herself for being a coward, she rapped her knuckles three times on the wood and entered when the Capitaines commanding voice instructed her to do so.

Chloe kept her back to the door as she closed it behind her and eyed the Capitaine at the desk. He was sitting over his desk, his left hand cradling his head as he starred down at some paperwork in front of him. The curtains were drawn and a small desk lamp shed the only light in the room.

"Sit" Fache ordered. Feeling very much like a pedigree dog, Chloe obeyed and dropped her bag by her feet, but left her jacket on to imply she wasn't staying long.

They sat in silence for some time. Chloe figured this was to make her as compliant and nervous as possible, she had to admit it was working, but her resolve not to continue the case remained as strong as ever.

Finally the Capitaine looked up front his paper work and Chloe could see the familiar red and fatigued eyes she saw herself every time she looked in the mirror. She suddenly felt very guilty, but she had no idea why.

"Miss Blanc. I hope you had a good rest after last nights events?" he asked politely.

Chloe nodded, surprised by his tone. There was no anger, just civility, "I got enough" she replied.

Fache nodded, "I understand last night brought back quite a few unpleasant memories, but I hope this will not deter you from your goal" he said.

Chloe was shocked, "Capitaine. What I said last night still stands. I will not continue the case" she said with an edge to her voice.

Fache frowned, "You do realise that you have gotten more out of that monk in just two days then I have in seven"

Chloe was momentarily taken back by what could be seen as a compliment, but she held her ground. "I'm sorry Capitaine, but I've lost my control over the situation. The monk will no longer see me as an authority figure, he won't even see me as an equal!"

Fache nodded, "I disagree, Miss Blanc. But you must at least try to talk to him once more to make sure your theory is correct"

Chloe shook her head. To think of sitting in the same room as the man who tried to strangle her gave her the chills. "I refuse to do it Capitaine. And in this case, you have no authority to make me" he said, fixing him with an icy glare, hoping she looked stronger then she felt.

She was risking a lot by trying to put the Capitaine in his place. But she was right, he had no authority to make her take part in a case that in the eyes of his superiors and to others in this building, did not exist. She was still amazed at how he was keeping the monk here without any objection or without being caught, but she didn't want to care.

"You're right of course, Miss Blanc. I cannot make you take the case. But I want you to know how much danger you're putting others in by refusing to cooperate" the Capitaine said, picking up a biro and dropping it in a pen pot on his desk. He was consciously avoiding Chloe's gaze.

She could almost have laughed out loud. So here was the guilt trip! He was going to make her feel guilty if anyone died as a result of the Council of Shadows.

"Capitaine" she said through gritted teeth, "I refused to believe it would be my responsibility if anyone else became the victim of that sick Council"

Fache leant forward on his desk, "By refusing to assist, that is essentially what you are doing! If you rebuff this case, many more will die. You are the only one I can trust with this case. My superiors have no interest in going against Opus Dei, if they knew what was going on under their noses there would be a crisis"

Chloe could almost see what was happening. He was going to blackmail her now. He had enough evidence to take her down with him if this got out. She could feel the rage boiling in the pit of her stomach.

"If you think blackmailing me-" she started, but Fache laughed.

"Blackmail? You think I would sink that low? Jerome is a very close friend. I would never blackmail his own family. But I am imploring you for your help. Althoughwise I will have no choice but to continue the case myself, and the risk at being discovered with inevitable heighten" he explained.

Chloe looked down at her lap. Her mind was torn in two.

"Now I have another lead. Sir Leigh Teabing is currently being held in the Bastille. It's taken a while to find out where he is being held and I've finally found the opportunity to go and speak with him. He will be able to offer us valuable information on the members of the Council he bribed to help him find this Grail. Now I would like you to go yourself, but if you refuse to assist me, I will have no choice but to go myself"

He fixed Chloe with a piercing stare, but she continued to look at her lap. She knew just how valuable this new lead was. It seemed that Silas knew nothing about the Council, he only took orders from Teabing under the alias of the Teacher. But to speak to Teabing would be a great advantage.

But on the other hand, she feared to continue. She would still have to deal with the monk and would have to deal with religious interference. Right now she was just too caught up in her own pain to start thinking about how to get a crazed, devoted monk to spill all he knew about some fascist religious group.

She looked up at Fache, who was still starring at her hopefully, "I'm sorry Capitaine. But my decision remains" she said, and without another word she got up off the seat, grabbed her bag and left the office. The terrible cloud of guilt hanging over her like an unwanted smell.

**-oOo-**

It was less then two hours later that Jerome summoned Chloe to his office. She sighed as she recalled her godfather's temper. She was positive Fache had gone straight to Jerome to try and convince her to take back the case, and if this was the reason for her summoning, she would remain strong against his reasoning.

But surprisingly, when she entered his office, she didn't meet with an angry Lietenuant. She was faced with a concerned godfather. Jerome took her hand reassuringly.

"Chloe" he said sadly, "Fache told me about last night. I wish you have called me straight away. You shouldn't have been alone last night" he said.

Chloe gulped down her surprise and let him lead her to the chair in front of his desk.

"I'm fine, really Jerome" she forced a smile as Jerome took his own seat.

"I feel it's all my fault. I convinced you to take this ridiculous case; it's all Fache's foolish loyalties to his Opus Dei. He feels the need to protect them against themselves" he said, taking a sip from a hot cup of coffee on his desk.

Chloe was surprised to hear her godfather share bad words about his friend, but she knew his stance on religion as well. Chloe was sure Fache had tried to enrol Jerome into Opus Dei and obviously he had declined. It was quite clear he felt the same way about religion as she did as he lost his wife of twenty years no more then five years before.

"He said he would take the case on himself if I refused to help him" Chloe stated.

Jerome nodded, "I know. I spoke to him just two minutes before I called for you. That's when he told me about the attack"

Chloe felt guilty. She had owed Jerome a lot for taking care of her. And when she had been attacked, he should had been the first person she called. It was probably because she was still not used to someone caring for her, even though Jerome had been there for so many years. She felt guilty dragging him into her personal problems when he had so many of them him self. Besides, he was only her godfather, he had no blood ties or loyalties to her, but he still remained to take care of her when she needed a kind word here or there. And now she realised that last night, she would have appreciated a welcoming shoulder to cry on through her pain. But she had let Jerome down, just like she did herself.

"I'm sorry Jerome. I should have called you" she said, playing with the seam of her skirt.

Jerome waved away her apology, "Don't be ridiculous, _mon petit poisson_. I just want to know you're okay, and if you need me, don't hesitate to call. You're the only family I have" he smiled.

Chloe felt warmth spread through her at these words. Family? It was an alien word to Chloe, but what Jerome had just said made perfect sense.

"Thank you" she smiled back, "I thought you would try and talk me back into assisting with the case"

"Of course not. You are a grown woman. I had no right to force you into Fache's direction, for that I apologise. I fear the Capitaine has lost his way a bit. He had grown quite obsessed with this case, as much as he was with the Sauniere case"

Chloe nodded, she could understand obsession. After all, she still hadn't given up trying to find her rapist.

"Well. I will let you get back to work. I want you to come round on Sunday. I'm making a roast. Isabella and Jonas will be joining us. I'll pick you up at six" he smiled.

Chloe returned the gesture, "I'd love to. I'd almost forgotten it was Friday tomorrow"

"It has been a quick week. Now I'll see you later" Jerome said and waved Chloe out of his office.

The guilt at leaving the case to Fache had now dissolved into just a faint twinge. Now she had more time to concentrate on her other duties. Such as looking for more clues of the rapist.

Somehow, having the Opus Dei case off her shoulders, made her feel a little more free. But she still couldn't get out of head those pericing red eyes as they locked with hers. And she could still remember the regret she saw in them as he released her throat.

_What's the matter with _me? She asked herself, but of course, she got no reply.

**-oOo-**

**pheonix rising06 - Thanks mate. I'm glad you like both sets of chapters, but I really felt the new ones! If you know what I mean.**

**RaeAngel - Aww mate, hope you're feeling better. Sucks to be sick! Well this one is for you!**

**A/N : Thanks loyal reviewers. I work for you!**


	7. LukeWarm Water

**Chapter Six**

**LukeWarm Water**

**-oOo-**

Now that she had more time, Chloe followed a few more leads on her rapist case. She investigated a secret Celtic cult situation on the outskirts of Paris, unfortunately it led to another dead end, as all of its members were strictly female, so down heartened she got a taxi back to the DCPJ. However as she stared out of the window of the car, she thought for a glimmer of a second she saw Capitaine Fache pass by in his own taxi, a foul expression on his face.

Chloe frowned, but thought she was only imagining things and leant back on her seat, dozing until the taxi driver braked and demanded his fare.

She returned to her desk to complete her other duties, but her mind kept going back to two things; her rapist and the monk. She didn't know why, but it was driving her crazy. She could get rid of the regret she saw in his eyes. That was the difference between Silas and the rapist. The monk had stopped his attack before Fache had pulled the gun on him, he had obvious seen the alarm and fear in her eyes, and instead of revelling in it, he released her.

Chloe shook her head, checked her watch and began gathering her things together. For the first time that week, she actually left work on time. She waved good-bye to Jerome and caught another taxi back home.

She checked her answering machine, but there were no messages. A fact that both saddened and relieved Chloe. It reminded her of her lack of friends, she had never been good at keeping friends. She normally shut them out when she felt particularly vulnerable or afraid, and gradually over time; everyone she had befriended had just floated away from her.

With a sad sigh, Chloe threw a frozen ready meal in the oven and began to run a hot bath for herself, making sure to add extra bubbles and perfumes to cheer herself up. Tenderly she peeled away the new gauze and studied her wounds. The bleeding had finally stopped but the cuts were still red raw and sore. She stripped the rest of her clothes and was just about to step into the bath when her doorbell rung.

Chloe closed her eyes and sighed, but then she frowned, who on Earth would be calling on her? Nobody had knocked on her door for almost three months.

Gingerly she pulled a white dressing gown on and padded over to the door. She made sure the chain was securely fastened and she consciously checked that her gun was still on the table by the door, where she normally left it after work.

She opened the door a crack and looked out. Her eyes widen.

"Capitaine Fache?" she breathed. The man stood before her, his hands in the pockets of his jacket and was almost bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"I understand this is unusual practise, Miss Blanc. But may I come in?" he asked urgently.

Chloe almost did, but she then realised that this could only be about the Opus Dei case, and if Fache was here about it, then he had defied her wishes about not getting involved.

"Capitaine. I already told you-" she began, but Fache moved closer to the gap and hissed.

"Miss Blanc, I need your help. I understand you don't want to, but I'm…" he faltered as if the next few words would cause him pain, "…I'm begging you," he added.

Chloe pondered for a moment, but she figured there was no harm in at least hearing what he had to say, so she closed the door, took off the chain and allowed Fache to step over the threshold into her home.

Fache's eyes lingered over the apartment; her sofa, the small television, the walk in kitchen and the gun sitting on the table. Then his eyes turned to her and he obviously noticed she was wearing nothing but a dressing gown and averted his eyes to her face.

"I'm sorry to interrupt in your personal time, Miss Blanc. May I sit down?" he asked.

Chloe nodded, "Of course, can I get you a drink, Capitaine?" she asked.

"Non, merci. I will not be long" he replied and sat down on the sofa. He glanced at the empty wine bottles on the table and Chloe suddenly felt very exposed, so she sat down opposite him and cleared her throat impatiently.

"I went to the Bastille today to speak to Sir Teabing…" he began, but Chloe shook her head.

"I'm sorry Capitaine, but I thought I told you I wasn't going to take the case" she repeated for what felt like the hundredth time.

"I know…" he said impatiently, but Chloe's temper was rising. It was bad enough that Fache was taking time out of her workday, but to come to her home and try and rein her in was down right rude.

"Now if you excuse me" she said rising from her seat, "I have dinner in the-"

"Teabing is dead" Fache said.

Chloe starred at him, "What?"

"I got to the Bastille, the guard told me he had been murdered. An inmate admitted to the crime, snapped his neck in two. The point is, someone is trying to cover the Councils tracks, and I fear I may be compromised as a result," he added.

Chloe sat back down. This was serious now. Who would authorise the murder of an English Knight? It was insane and very dangerous. Only someone truly desperate or very powerful could do it.

"Someone in the Council must have bribed the inmate to murder him" Chloe replied.

Fache nodded, "That's what I thought. I tried to get an interview with the killer, but it turns out he committed suicide right after he murdered Teabing"

Chloe brought a hand up to her mouth in shock.

"Now you can see why I'm concerned. I must have been spotted going into the Bastille, that can only confirm to whoever set up the murder that I am investigating. I can no longer do this on my own, Miss Blanc. I need your help," he said.

Chloe sat in silence. It looked like she didn't have a choice, but her mind was screaming at her to back out, to find another way.

"But Capitaine. I can't help; I don't know where to start. I'm only a Criminal Psychologist and not a very good one at that. Look how I messed up with the monk!" she cried.

Fache sighed, "Well you must have made some impression," he said.

"What do you mean?" asked Chloe suspiciously.

"I tried to talk to him today, but the only thing he said was that he would only talk to you" he replied.

Chloe's frown deepened, "Why?" she asked.

Fache shrugged, "Maybe he likes you" he joked.

Chloe glared at him and got to her feet, nervously pacing the floor of her apartment, "He's a celibate monk" she murmured.

"He's also a killer, but the point is, he might have something to tell us after all" he explained.

Chloe continued to pace, thoughts searing her mind. The monk wanted to talk to her? Only her? It didn't make sense. He had spoken to her with contempt and anger, but then she remembered the look in his eye as she begged him to let her go. And he had.

Maybe the monk's life was in danger too; maybe he was an innocent party, made to believe he was doing Gods work by killing those people. And now he had done what the Council wished him to do, they didn't care about him and if they ever found out he was still alive, they might do to him what they did to Teabing.

Chloe looked back at Fache, "Fine. I will help you, Capitaine, but you must give me my space. If Silas wants to talk to me, it will only be to me. You can't listen in to our conversations," she demanded.

Fache nodded and got off his seat, "I understand, of course you will update me of any progress you make though?" he asked. Chloe nodded and Fache allowed himself a relieved grin.

"Well now that we have discussed what I came here to, I will leave you to…" he said, glancing again at her dressing gown.

Chloe consciously tightened the rope around her waist and saw the Capitaine to the door. With a brief farewell she was back in the bathroom, the water now lukewarm and her dinner slightly burnt.

**-oOo-**

**phoenix rising06 - lol, well here's your new fix! Glad you're enjoying the story.**

**A/N : Sorry guys, this one is a little shorter, but it still had to be done!**


	8. Breaking Through

**Chapter Seven**

**Breaking Through**

**-oOo-**

Chloe awoke with that familiar weight resting on her shoulders. She rubbed her eyes and glanced outside the window where the rain was pounding hard on the glass.

_Just like my mood_, she thought, begrudgingly getting out of bed and heading for the bathroom.

She didn't know what made her agree to take the case again. Maybe it was Fache's pleading eyes, maybe it was the fact he would owe her a big one if she solved the case. Or maybe it was the fact that the monk asked especially for her.

She had thought about it for most of the night, tossing and turning in her bed, but she still could figure out why the monk would answer only to her. He had referred to her as 'woman' on more then one occasion, hinting to some form of misogynist ideals probably a repercussion of his celibate vow. He probably saw women as a threat to that promise, that's why he disliked them. It was almost a mirror image of Chloe's own hatred of the other sex because they were a threat to her. And maybe that was why she normally just referred to him as 'the monk' instead of using his real name. There were more similarities there then she cared to know.

_But we're nothing alike_, Chloe thought, as the water ran down her bare skin. But a nagging voice in the back of her mind told her otherwise. She tried to suppress it but her inner psychologist told her that maybe that was why Silas wanted to talk to her; maybe it was something in her eyes that told the monk she was as tortured as him.

Chloe removed the gauze from her arm and found the cuts were now healing. Decidedly she left the arm free to let the wounds breath, but still pulled on a long sleeved blouse over her pencil skirt. She was just slipping on her cream high heels when the phone rang. Rushing about she pinned the phone to her ear with her head and shoulder and threw things into her bag.

It was the garage informing her that her trusty citron was back in working order at a very high expense. Chloe hung up and grabbed her credit card before hailing a cab to the garage. It was comforting having her own car back, Chloe thought as she adjusted the seat forward and put her little knickknacks back in their place on her dashboard. She hated relying on taxis and hated the restrictions, there was also something very relaxing about driving and by the time she reached the office, she was relatively calm and ready to begin her day. She conducted her usual chores and then sat quietly at her desk, staring at the empty screen, trying to determine exactly what she was going to say to the monk after Fache called her to the Interrogation room.

Nerves flitted throughout her stomach, making her feel as if she were about to stand in front of a crowd to perform a speech; she knew she was being ridiculous. There was nothing to nervous about, except maybe facing a murdering monk who pinned her against a wall not two days ago. She ran her fingertips consciously over her neck. The bruises had healed quite quickly, but she could still fell his fingers around her throat, squeezing determinedly.

But then that bugging question; _why did he let go?_

Her phone began to ring, making her jump; angrily she seized it and lifted in to her ear.

"Chloe Blanc" she answered.

"_Miss Blanc, it is Fache. I felt compelled to call rather then come get you myself. In case someone is watching,_" the voice replied.

Chloe automatically lifted her eyes and scanned the room. It was filled with the usual faces, milling about and busy working. She didn't see anyone who might be eavesdropping or looking suspicious.

"Oui. How can I help you?" she replied.

"_Silas is waiting for you, come and collect the key on you way_" he answered quite simply. Chloe nodded and took a deep breath.

"Ok, monsieur. I'll be there in a minute" she replied and hung up the phone. She starred at it for a second or two and then tucked her bag under her desk, gathered her research files and headed toward the fifth floor. Fache was sitting at his desk running through some paperwork. He wordlessly handed her the key, which Chloe took, but she refused to budge until she made sure of one thing.

"You will keep your word? About not listening in, Capitaine?" she asked.

Fache looked up at her as if he didn't understand what she had said, but then he spoke, "I always keep my word, Miss Blanc. Just be sure to keep yours and let me know of any progress," he added.

Chloe nodded and left, her shoes clicking on the tiled floor as she made her way to the fifth Interrogation room. She stood before the door for a second to collect herself and her thoughts. She didn't know what she was going to face when she stepped into that room. Indeed the last time she had laid eyes on him was when he had tried to strangle her. For a second she thought about taking back her words to Fache and make him watch the interview in case he attacked again. But she steeled herself and slid the key into the door and turned the handle. Gently she pushed the door open, made her expression dead and unmoved before walking to the room.

To assert herself, she starred directly at Silas, her own grey eyes starring into his red ones. She closed the door behind and made her way to the chair in front of the monk. Silas cocked his head and seemed to study her, making her feel naked and exposed, but she didn't let it show in her face. At least she hoped not.

Leaning back into the chair, she crossed her legs and clasped her hands onto the desk. A silence fell over the pair, Chloe realised she would have to start the conversation and where better to start then with the question that had been burning her brain all night.

"Why did you call for me?" she asked, allow a frown to crease her brow.

Silas continued to study her. His pale features looked as though they had been carved out of marble. He looked almost like an innocent child, experiencing something for the first time. But then she saw his eyes gaze to her throat. Chloe consciously lowered her eyes and rubbed the painless bruising.

"Are you in pain?" he asked, but with no concern in his voice, just plain cilvilty which riled Chloe.

She looked up at him and dropped her hand back to the table, "Why do you care?" she asked rather briskly. Surprisingly a small smirk appeared in the corner of the monks' mouth.

"Your eyes. They tell me" he replied, pointing to his own red ones.

Chloe frowned, _what was all this cryptic bullshit?_ She thought.

"Well they obviously lie, because despite your brutal attack on me, I'm actually fine" she snapped. She watched as the monk lifted his head as if praying, but then he dropped it back down to eye-level.

"I was not talking about the other night. I'm talking about your soul" he said almost sadly.

Chloe sat awkwardly, feeling rather transparent. _How the hell can he tell that by looking into my eyes?_ She asked herself. She glanced down at the table and decided a change of tack was in order.

"Listen, I came back here under the assumption you knew something that will help with my case. Do you? Or are you just wasting my time?" she asked forcefully.

He cocked his head again, a questionable, irritated expression on his pale face "I told you before. I don't know whom this Council is that you speak of. I was instructed by the Teacher to discover the whereabouts of the key-stone"

"And murder four people in the process" Chloe added for him. The monk turned his head away and sighed.

"Alas, they had lost the way" he breathed, shifting his shoulders, the handcuffs tinkling from behind his back.

"That's no justification. Murder is murder, I'm sure even your God doesn't forgive murderers" she replied.

Silas starred at her, some recognition in his eyes as if she had said something shocking. She frowned again, "What?" she demanded.

"That is what she said," he whispered.

Chloe leaned over the desk, "Who?" she asked, finally glad that they were going somewhere.

"The woman, the granddaughter" he replied, his eyes suddenly glancing inward, as if he were watching a memory flash before his eyes.

Chloe racked her brain for an answer to his riddle, when it occurred to her that he was talking about Sophie Neveu, Jacques Saunière's granddaughter. Chloe sighed quietly. She wasn't getting anywhere, it was beginning to seem that the monk didn't have anything to offer Chloe of any particular value to the case.

Slowly a plan began to form in her mind, she realised she would have to frighten the monk into giving some kind of evidence against his former employers. She had to convince him that he was in danger from the Council; despite the fact that they thought he was dead. But of course, Silas didn't know that.

"The Teacher you referred to before. Were you aware that it was an Englishman named Sir Leigh Teabing?" she asked.

Silas' brow dipped and his eyes burned angrily, "That name sickens me, he betrayed Opus Dei, he betrayed my patron and used me for his own purposes. He was not a true man of God, and I pray everyday that he burns in Hell" he glared. Chloe was fascinated with the anger and hatred coursing though the man's eyes. They darkened, almost to a blood red and his lips pursed into a thin pale line.

"Well you prayers have been answered. Teabing was murdered yesterday," she answered.

Silas dropped his head and muttered quietly to himself. Chloe realised he was praying. She let him continue before she spoke again.

"I think you're missing the point, Silas" she started once the monk's eyes lifted to face her own, "Teabing was murdered because he knew too much"

Silas frowned, "What do you mean to say?" he asked.

"Teabing was a prestigious, rich English Knight but they still killed him. Do you think the Council will have second thoughts about finishing off a lowly, murderous monk?"

Silas glared at Chloe, "Why do you question me about this Council? I know nothing about it. Bishop Aringarosa is the only man I answer to"

"You answered to Teabing" Chloe said, resting her clenched fists on the table.

Silas' voice deepened with a dangerous tone, "I would trust any man my patron deemed worthy, but that heathen tricked the Bishop to his peril"

"And to yours too if you don't take this threat seriously" Chloe said, "You're in danger, Opus Dei have their finger in every pie, they will find out where you are sooner or later, and if they do, even your beloved patron, won't be able to protect you" added Chloe, her tone rising to disbelief.

"Then it is God's will" Silas nodded. Chloe frowned and wanted to smack the monk across the face; instead she got to her feet, rolled her sleeves up and slammed her palm on the table.

"You're a fool if you think standing by and just accepting death is even an option! I don't even know why I'm risking my career to help you! You're nothing but a murderer, but for some reason my Capitaine seemed to think you could see sense and stop hundreds of other people being killed by this senseless Council!" she shouted down on the monk as her rage from days of frustration finally getting the better of her.

She had expected the monk to be spilling everything he knew about the Council as soon as she even hinted that he might be their next target. But despite her ramblings, she knew that Silas had nothing. He was only a loyal lap dog who did as his master said to guarantee a place in Heaven. And there was also a deep bond between the monk and his patron that Chloe could only speculate on.

She snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Silas, surprising he wasn't looking at her face, he was looking down at the desk, obviously fascinated with something.

She looked down and to her horror realised he wasn't looking at desk, but her exposed right forearm that held the scars she had inflicted on herself. Desperatly she pulled the sleeves of her shirt down and crossed her arms defensively over her chest. Her heart raced and her blood ran cold. No one was supposed to see what he had just seen. No one.

Chloe watched the expression on the monks face as he looked upon her curiously.

"Please tell me Miss Blanc. What in your past calls for such a punishment? You don't chastise yourself for our Lord" he replied, a shadow of a smirk on his lips.

Angrily Chloe stormed around the desk and gathered a handful of the Monks jumpsuit, almost hauling him out of his seat. He looked startled, but as he starred back into her eyes, he almost seemed amused.

"Listen monk" she hissed, "It's in your best interest to forget what you just saw. It's not any of your damn business, remember that!" he snipped.

"Maybe we are not so different after all, Miss Blanc" he smirked.

Enraged, Chloe tugged on his collar, "I am nothing like you! You are a murderer! A criminal! Don't you dare compare us"

Silas seemed almost joyous at the rise he was getting out of Chloe, but he kept his mouth shut. Chloe dropped him back into his seat and rubbing her forehead with her hand she returned to stand behind her own.

_Oh God_, she thought, _what the hell have I just done?_ She had just put herself in further danger. She was done for if Fache ever found out. She could only thank her lucky stars that she had made Fache promise to stay away.

"I assume you will still be accompanying me as I chastise myself this evening?" Silas asked.

Chloe's train of thought was interrupted as she looked at him with a vacant expression; she knew what he was trying to do. He was daring her to scold him about his repenting, but she refused to rise to it. Instead, she stood tall.

"Of course" she replied coldly. Then a thought occurred. She could not let Fache come and take Silas down to the cell, and who was to say the monk would not tell the Capitaine everything. She had no choice but to take him herself.

Grabbing the keys, she hauled Silas up off his seat, "Come on, I'm taking you back to your cell" she explained.

"You'd rather your Capitaine not do it?" Silas asked.

Chloe bit back a retort, "No. I am quite capable of doing it myself" she snipped as she hauled him back down to the cellblock, she was however, aware of how he limped heavily as she pushed him along the corridors, and could only assume, Fache had allowed him to wear his cilice. She pushed him rather aggressively into the cell and before the monk had time to say anything, she had turned her back on him and returned to her desk; silently cursing herself for her stupidity and hoping against hope Silas would keep his mouth shut.

**-oOo-**

The day couldn't have gone any slower for Chloe. She found herself constantly checking the clock, wishing the hands forward.

Fache had come to see her only once to collect the key to the Interrogation room and to ask why she hadn't summoned him to lock the prisoner up. Chloe had assured him that if he was indeed compromised, Fache couldn't be seen to have anything to do with the case. He knew only two well that Opus Dei had influences everywhere but the Capitaine insisted that he would rather risk it then possibly endanger Chloe's life again.

Finally the office had cleared and the sky outside was almost pitch black. Chloe returned to the cellblock and found Silas sitting beside the toilet, his knees up to chin level as he starred at the floor.

Chloe silently opened the cell door and kicked the box back into the room. Silas slowly lifted his head and glanced at Chloe, then at the box. Without a word, Chloe turned her back on both, her ears straining to hear the sounds of the box being opened.

She jumped when she heard the slap of the discipline against the monks back. It made the anger rise in her again, but also a deep sense of pity and sadness. It confused her, this great jumble of emotions. When finally the slapping and cries ceased, Chloe gingerly turned around and saw the monk on all fours, breathing heavily as the blood clotted on his back.

Slowly, she reached out and grabbed the first aid kit that had been replaced on the desk opposite her. She then unlocked and locked the cell door and gingerly stepped towards the pained monk on the ground.

"Silas, I will have to clean your wounds before I can leave" she said, but was responded only by the monks' heavy breathing. Silas had either heard her but not bothered to reply or the pain had temporally deafened him to everything else around him.

Chloe poured some antiseptic on a wad of cotton wool and carefully kneeled next to him. A part of her was worried that he would lash out again, but he looked so weak she doubted it, "This is going to sting a bit" she explained and slowly dabbed at the fresh wounds with the cotton wool. She heard Silas hiss with pain and his shoulder flinched, but he held still and allowed her to dab at the cuts in his flesh until the wounds were clean. She was almost mesmerised by the pale flesh that Silas had tortured so much. He was skinny, obviously having missed a few good meals, his ribs poked out of his flesh, but she could see that his skin was flawless, save for the savage tears.

Hurriedly she grabbed a square bandage and put it over the open wounds before carefully sealing it with medical tape. Once she was happy the wounds were protected, she got to her feet, her knees aching from being on the cold, hard floor for so long.

"I'm done. You can put your shirt back on," she said, breaking the silence. Silas had ceased breathing heavily and cocked his head up so he could see Chloe.

"Maybe you should tend to your own wounds," he said with a crocked smirk.

A fire blazed in Chloe's eyes, all sympathy faded away, "I told you never to mention that again!" she snapped.

Slowly and with some struggle, Silas got to his feet and painfully pulled the top half of his jumpsuit back over his torso, "I made no promise," he hissed.

Chloe angrily threw the bloody cotton wool on the floor, "Why, you ungrateful son-of-a-!" she bit, resisting the urge to kick him where his cilice was.

Silas glared down at her, "It would be unwise to attack a prisoner you wish to gain information from. It deters them for talking" he said.

"Talking isn't your problem" Chloe muttered, "Only you don't know anything, that much is clear now. I don't know why Fache doesn't just throw you in the Bastille and let you rot for your crimes" she added venomously.

The smirk was wiped from the monks face, he turned his back on her, "You may leave now, Miss Blanc," he said.

Chloe clenched her fists, "Gladly" she mumbled and threw in the box the discipline, first aid box and used cotton wool and locked the cell behind her. She couldn't help glancing back at the monk, but he was still facing away from her.

_Bastard_, she thought to herself, _how can anyone be so insufferable?_

In a fury she returned the keys and box to Capitaine Fache's office, luckily he wasn't there and she was in no mood to update him on what she had learnt, but she thought to herself that she didn't even know that either, so she grabbed her things and gratefully got into her car and made her way home.

It was a blessing to finally sink into the hot water; the soapy suds enclosed around her released faint flowery scents that sent Chloe spiralling into a doze. She forgot, for a whole ten minutes about that day, she forgot about the monk and what he now knew, she forgot about Fache and the rapist. It was pure bliss.

And then the phone rang.

"Merde!" Chloe hissed. She had half a mind to let it ring out, but she thought it might be Jerome checking up on her, and if she didn't answer to phone he would be round her apartment in a flash to make sure she was alright.

Reluctantly she hauled herself out of the bath, wrapped the robe around herself and grabbed the cordless phone from the coffee table.

"Bonsoir" she replied sleepily

"_Miss Blanc. It's Capitaine Fache. We have a serious problem_" the voice rushed.

Chloe sighed, _Oh no_.

**-oOo-**

**fabala4077 - Well here is a lot more of everyone's favourite monk! I just wanted to get Chloe's character and story across before I got Silas back into the story, as well all know about him!**

**phoenix rising06 - Aww thanks (blushes)**

**Anchita - Hey new reviewer! Glad you're enjoying it.**


	9. Solitary

**Chapter Eight**

**Solitary**

**-oOo-**

Chloe felt her blood run cold for the second time that day. She could hear the mixture of anger and worry in the Capitaine's voice and she knew instantly that it was something very serious. Chloe instantly thought about the monk and how he had teased her about her self-harming. What if the monk had told Fache everything? What if Fache was calling to fire her? Or maybe convince her to go get help? Suddenly she felt unable to breath.

"_Miss Blanc, are you alright?_" Fache voice cut through the cloud of panic.

"Oui, Capitaine. What's going on?" she asked, her voice almost failing her.

"_It's about Silas_" he began, "_I had a call just this minute from the Commissioner. They're forcing me to release Silas_," he explained.

"What?" Chloe demanded, both relieved that the monk had not told and confused that his whereabouts was know known.

"_A Bishop Horus, a friend of Aringarosa tipped the Commissioner about the monk being alive and in my custody_" he explained.

Chloe frowned, "But how did he know? Everyone outside the DCPJ thinks Silas is dead"

"_Exactly, Miss Blanc. Someone inside the DCPJ tipped Bishop Horus. I'm afraid there is nothing I can do, Silas has already been released_"

Chloe gasped and absently checked her door to make sure it was securely locked. Once satisfied she went around her apartment and closed all the curtains and blinds, "I don't understand, Capitaine. The monk is a murderer, he can't just be allowed to walk around the city unchecked!" she cried.

"_I made that point quite clear, Miss Blanc. But unfortunately there is no evidence to convict Silas of the four murders. There's no evidence, no witnesses and conveniently, the weapon used has never been found_" he sighed into the receiver.

Chloe couldn't believe what she was hearing. The monk had admitted to her that he had killed those people, and yet because of a technicality, he was going to be let loose onto the unsuspecting public. "But what about the English police, won't they want him for questioning. He did shoot several of their men," she added hastily.

"_No one died and the worst injury was a broken rib, besides the English want nothing to do with him, they perceive him as a 'French hindrance' as usual they want us to deal with it. Don't want to get their hands dirty_" he added glumly.

"How kind of them" Chloe muttered sarcastically, "I can't believe he's literally just gotten away with murder" she cried in frustration.

"_I'm afraid it's worse then that_," Fache said

"How can it possibly be worse, Capitaine?" she replied.

"_Aringarosa must now know that Silas is still alive and if my suspicion is correct that he is involved with the Council of Shadows, both of our lives and Silas' are now in danger_"

Chloe felt cold again. She hadn't even thought of that, the implementations of Silas being released were far greater then she first thought. Many new lives were now in danger, including her own. If Aringarosa now knew of Silas being alive then so did the Council, and if Silas was still loyal to the Bishop, he would happily spill everything he had learnt while in captivity.

"You must be able to do something, Capitaine" Chloe asked, Fache had placed both their lives in danger and she couldn't hide the resentment in her voice as she pleaded with him.

"_I am sorry, Miss Blanc, but as of today I cannot do anything_" he replied sadly, obviously finding it hard to continue, " _I've been suspended_"

**-oOo-**

Chloe spent the rest of the evening pacing the floor of her home trying to figure out her next step. It had been two hours since her conversation with Capitaine Fache and about thirty minutes since a very long winded talk with her godfather, mostly with her trying to convince him that she was safe and there was no reason for him to come over.

Although a part of her still feared the monk, she knew he wouldn't come for her, he had no reason to and if he did, it would mostly be to taunt and tease her again. He seemed to find great pleasure in that, far more then when he tried to strangle her.

It took her another forty minutes to plan out her next move. She would have to talk to Bishop Aringarosa. If he was half the man that Silas had portrayed him as, he might be able to help her. Who knew, maybe he was a prisoner, being made to work for the Council against his will. She could get an ally now that she was completely on her own. Fache had no power and would only be digging an even greater hole for himself if he were seen helping her. So far, she had not been implemented in the case, and although she didn't want to admit it, the case was now intriguing her, and part of her really didn't want to see the last of Silas. He knew something of her no one did, and she needed to make sure that he would at least keep it to himself, if nothing else.

Silently she slid into bed, her knew objective lay ahead of her, but curiously, all she dreamt about was a pair of red eyes.

**-oOo-**

**Raeangel - Sorry mate, I am the cliffie queen! I like to keep you all entranced. Am I doing a good job?**

**Laura - Ta very much!**

**phoenix rising06 - Allo again, that last chappie was dedicated to you, I knew how much you wanted to see dear Silas so there he was! Hope this chapter isn't a disappointed because of the lack of the gorgeous white haired, red eyed monk!**

**fabala4077 - I'm trying to get Chloe as far away from the whole MarySue thing so I try to make Chloe seem as human as possible, and what's more human then conflicting emotions?! As from the above, Aringarosa is definitly going to be making an appearance so don't fret! I have this story pretty much plotted out from beginning to end, so enjoy!**

**A/N : I know this is a little shorter then the rest of them, but I needed to put it in for the plot to work. So please forgive me for the shortness, but the next few shall be longer. Promise!**


	10. Perfection

**Chapter Nine**

**Perfection**

**-oOo-**

Chloe awoke with the details of the previous night still floating through her mind. Silas was free. The Council might possibly be trying to kill her and her boss. But she wasn't dead yet, so she had to beat them at their own game.

In a rush, she showered and changed into a comfortable pair of jeans, a black v-neck jumper, and black loafers and threw a long black leather jacket over herself. She checked her make-up, stored her gun, purse and keys into a handbag.

According to the report on Aringarosa, Fache had given Chloe; the Bishop was still recovering from a bullet wound at the Hopitaux de Paris. It would take her no more then ten minutes to get down there, but she stored her badge away in her jacket pocket so she wouldn't meet any opposition.

She threw her things into her car and set off with the morning rush hour traffic towards the hospital. Her mind was a jumble of _what ifs_ and questions she ached to have answers for. She only hoped she wasn't stepping into the belly of the beast by seeing Aringarosa, for who knew whether he was actually the head of the Council and not some bottom feeder who was being led along just like Silas. And what of the monk? He would be surprised to discover that his patron thought he was dead, that's if he had been to see the Bishop before her, then both would distrust her and she wouldn't get anywhere.

After Chloe tucked her car away in the car park, she walked into the busy reception area, flashed her badge at one of the attending receptionists, a tall, willowy woman with thin glasses and asked where she might find the Bishop. She got her answer and rushed into the lift to the fifth floor. She could tell instantly which room held Aringarosa from the two guards standing as still as statues outside the less the modest hospital room.

She flashed her badge again and was allowed to pass, she immediately found herself surrounded with flowers and well-wishing cards. A television perched on a mahogany drawing cabinet was on, detailing the events of a fatal car pile up somewhere in Toulouse. Chloe's eyes turned to the hospital bed, where lying flat upon his back was a round man with dark hair and bushy eyebrows. His face was stern yet sad and he definitely looked like a man of power, despite the weakened arm in a sling.

Aringarosa saw her standing there and picked up a remote to turn the television off, he smiled sadly at her.

"Bonjour madam, and what do I owe such a pleasure?"

Chloe smiled, genuinely. He seemed quite a nice man, probably very jovial and fun had he not been lying crippled.

"Bonjour, Bishop Aringarosa. I am Officer Chloe Blanc, I was wondering if I might ask you a few questions?" she asked, helping herself to the padded chair that was pushed up against the far wall and sitting a good few feet away from the Bishop.

"My, my. This sounds like an interrogation" he coughed, "But I am sure you are aware that I have already given my statement," he added.

"Je suis docile, Bishop. But I am not here about the incident involving Miss Neveu and Professor Langdon. This case if far more delicate and I was helping that you might co operate in exchange for protection"

Aringarosa frowned and shifted himself to get a better look at Chloe, "I don't understand, Mademoiselle Blanc. Why do you need my protection?" he asked.

"Non, Bishop, you misunderstand me" she replied hurriedly, "I believe your life to be in danger. I'm offering you protection in exchange with your cooperation with the DCPJ"

There was a few seconds of silence before the Bishop chuckled. Chloe frowned, she hadn't expected him to react like that, and of course she didn't know what she had expected. She didn't even know the Bishop was a man worth trusting; she was purely going on the word of a murderer. Maybe Silas had set her up, maybe he had wanted her to come here and face the Bishop so he knew the Council was being investigated. Suddenly she felt very unsure of herself.

"Oh my dear" Aringarosa chuckled, "Of course my life is in danger. During my time as Bishop I've had numerous threats from feminists, animal rights activists, Muslim sects, the list is endless. I don't believe I have been truly safe since I entered the church"

Chloe sighed, "I don't think you understand, Bishop. We have reason to believe your friend, Silas, was ordered by powerful individuals in the Church to murder four people"

The Bishops face suddenly dropped and a flicker of sadness and fear crossed over his face, "Silas" he whispered in angst, "my angel"

Chloe felt guilty. Just a few words would sooth this old mans heart, but she felt compelled to keep the truth from him. Silas had obviously not found the Bishop yet, she had beaten him here, therefore she could gain his trust, but she would be putting all her eggs in one basket and placing her life in further risk. Question was, did she care about herself enough to allow her life to be put in the hands of Aringarosa.

"I'm terribly sorry about your friend, Bishop, but we believe it was the intention of this Council of Shadows to have Silas killed once he had served his purpose, it was lucky for them that the English police killed him so the matter was taken out of their hands"

Aringarosa starred at her, "I am afraid you have been misled, Mademoiselle, there is no Council, we work to spread the lords word, nothing would draw men and women of the cloth to ruthless murder" he said harshly.

"I understand they believe they are doing God's work, Bishop, but its still murder" she argued, feeling her personal opinions sinking into the conversation. She had to bit her tongue from arguing further. She was trying to get this man on her side; she would help matters why starting an argument. But she felt her hold on the situation slip, she would have to offer him something in good faith to make him trust her, but what?

"Trust me, Officer Blanc, my fellow Christians would never take a life, it should be by Gods hand. And the rest, well I suppose is your job" he replied.

Chloe glanced down at her lap, she still had one card left, but she had no idea how Aringarosa would react and whether he would believe her or condemn her. But she had no choice.

"Bishop, what I am about to tell you is top secret, I have been ordered by my superior to reveal it to no one, but I need you to trust me and I hope what I am about to tell you is proof enough that I wish to help you" she began, her heart racing in her chest. She could almost see Fache in her mind, shouting at her not to tell him, but she had no choice, the Bishop's attention was all hers, "that day, when Silas was shot…" she began, but Aringarosa's face look downcast, now she just had to tell him, "Capitaine Fache told you he died. The truth is, he nearly did, but he survived. He's been in DCPJ custody ever since that day" he finished.

Chloe studied the Bishops face intently; firstly she saw the shock, then the disbelief, but then the heartened lifting of his brow to show utter relief. But then he saw Chloe starring at him and his brow creased, "You lie" he grumbled, "You come here, accusing me of being involved with this Council of Shadows and then you have the ordacity to play with an old man's heart and tell me lies about my beloved Silas?!"

"Non, Bishop. I am telling the truth, I swear on it. I spoke to him myself, he told me Sir Teabings' involvement and how he bribed the members of the Council to assist him in finding this Grail-"

"Enough!" Aringarosa cried, "I will not listen to anymore of this. I trust my brothers with my life, if such a Council does exist, it's main purpose would only be to serve the Lord's best interests without police interference therefore I see no harm. But for you to lie to me about Silas, to give me such hope, is perfectly cruel" he spat.

Chloe felt her nerves fail her, but she had to be strong, Aringarosa had practically admitted to the Council's existence and that he would fully support their actions. She now had the proof she needed, but Aringarosa was her only lead, she needed him, and she knew he needed something.

"What if I bring him to you?" she asked.

Aringarosa looked shocked, "If I could see him in the flesh, I would trust you. But until then, I do not wish to see you again" he muttered with a wave of his healthy hand.

Chloe got off her seat, "I will try" she replied.

The Bishop frowned, "I thought you said he was in your custody"

"He was" Chloe agreed, "he was released last night, no one knows where he is and I don't think he knows where you are" she replied.

"And how do you propose to find him?" Aringarosa scoffed, still sure Chloe was lying.

"Well you are the only person to have ever shown him kindness, Bishop. He'll be trying to find you" she replied and with a nod left the man to his musings.

Chloe returned home to find the light on her answering machine blinking. It was Jerome reminding her that she was expected at his roast dinner meal the next day. She decided to call him later as she fixed herself up a ham sandwich and began to think to herself of where the monk could be. She was sure he wouldn't get far unnoticed; he had no other clothes apart from his robe, which would stick out far more then his white features. She researched on the Internet all of the local churches that she would visit as well as Opus Dei safe houses.

Just as she put her plate away in the sink, something from her conversation of the previous night with Capitaine Fache came to mind.

_'A Bishop Horus, a friend of Aringarosa tipped the Commissioner about the monk being alive and in my custody'_

Bishop Horus? How could she have over seen that little detail? He had been contacted by someone in the DCPJ and had gone over Fache's head to see that Silas was released. Maybe, just maybe he did so to make sure Silas didn't open his mouth; he wanted him released so that he could kill the monk. It all made sense, but she needed to know more about this new character.

She furiously typed his name into a search engine; there were quite a few hits, but most were for the Egyptian God, Horus. She scanned further down the list and saw a page for Bishop Regis Horus. She clicked it impatiently, but all that came up was a small article of how he had donated money to several orphanages in Milan, there wasn't even a picture. Whoever this man was, he kept to the shadows and didn't enjoy the limelight. All the signs of a guilty man, maybe? Furiously she wrote down her findings and set off to visit the Opus Dei houses in Paris.

As the day wore on, so did Chloe's patients and hope. By the tenth house she called on, it was four in the afternoon and still she had no luck. No one had heard of Silas or seen him, it seemed he had just vanished off the face of the Earth. On driving back to her apartment she saw in all its majesty, Saint-Sulpice. It towered over her, shadowing the road against the dropping sun.

"It can't hurt" she said to herself and parked her car outside a deli. She marched up the steps and entered the gigantic building with a sense of modesty and awe. Never had she been here even though she had lived nowhere else, she had just simply regarded it as a landmark, but now she could admire it in all its beauty. She walked down the aisle, looking left and right, trying to take in the intricate details and when she reached the alter, she sat at the nearest pew and sighed.

She wished she could find this place comforting and give her faith, but it didn't. It was just a reminder of how God had betrayed her, as she lay on the cold ground, alone and afraid. She had lost all her faith, in both man and God that day. She supposed to someone who believed, this place could be such a solace.

Slowly she got to her feet and walked down the side of the church, obscured by the rising pillars. She felt suddenly empty and alone, with nowhere she could go to feel safe and comforted. It saddened her to feel that way.

Then suddenly, out of nowhere, a hand grabbed her and pulled her into a nearby corridor. She tried to scream, but a hand covered her mouth as she was slammed hard against the stonewall. The light was dim, but she faced her attacker and was enraged to find it was the monk. He leaned into her, his eyes alight, he checked all around him.

"Do not scream, you will be dead before you open your mouth" he hissed into her ear.

Chloe tried to shake him off, but he held her fast, "Don't be foolish," he snapped.

She stopped struggling and reluctantly nodded. Slowly, Silas dropped his hand, Chloe had to restrain herself from lashing out.

"I should shoot you right now" she muttered under her breath.

Silas smirked, "You would dare to kill a man of God in the Lords house?"

"I don't care about that. Now get off me!" she snapped. Silas moved away from her so she had room to breathe, but he continued to stare at her, which unsettled Chloe.

"Why have you been looking for me?" he asked.

Chloe sighed, "I went to see Bishop Aringarosa today" the monk's eyes widen at the mention of his name, "I need him to help me uncover the Council members, but he won't help me unless he sees you" she explained.

"You know where the Bishop is?" he asked almost dreamily.

"Yes" Chloe replied, "Now come on," she said, grabbing him by the sleeve of his robe, but he yanked it back and looked at suspiciously.

"How do I know you are not trying to entrap me? How can I trust you?" he asked

"I've got nothing to offer you to prove I'm telling you the truth, unless you come with me and see for yourself," she explained impatiently, crossing her arms over her chest.

"No. There is something you can give me," he said, a small smirk rising in the corner of his mouth. Chloe didn't like that look at all.

"Within reason. What do you want?" she asked.

"Your arm. I want to know what happened to make you do such a thing," he said.

Chloe felt chills; she felt exposed and hated it. It was bad enough that he saw her wounds, but for him to know what had happened to her that night was unimaginable. But she needed Silas to come with her, so the best thing to do, was lie.

"It's embarrassing" she began, "I was out cycling, I fell off and scratched up my arm. I knew people would assume I'd done it myself and just covered it up" she said and fixed Silas with a piercing stare. He returned it and finally shook his head.

"You lie" he muttered angrily, "And you want me to trust you?"

"I didn't lie" Chloe snapped, and in a second, Silas had hauled her to him by her jacket, slammed her against the wall and pulled her sleeve down on her jacket. Chloe tried to push away but he pinned her to the wall with his legs and held her exposed forearm in-between them both.

"I want to know the truth" he growled, his face inches from her own, "You give me that and I will go with you"

Chloe struggled again and managed to tug her arm out of his and pulled her sleeve down, "What the hell do you care?" she asked, "What can it prove?!"

"That you're not as perfect as you seem" Silas whispered. Chloe stopped struggling and looked at him. How could he possibly think she was even remotely perfect? She was broken, a shadow of her former self. She had no friends, no family save for Jerome. If only the monk in front of her could see that. _Perfect_ was one word she wouldn't use to describe anything about herself.

She shoved him off her and straightened her jacket whilst the monk looked on, she turned to him, "I can't tell you, and it's not for you or anyone else to know. But I can tell you I'm not perfect. Not anymore at least" she said glumly, and without another look, she turned on her heels and left.

**-oOo-**

**phoenixrisingGhostLoveScore - Yay! I rock! Cheers, you too!**

**Mish - Well here is Aringarosa, glad you're enjoying this.**

**Possessed-Gummy-Bear-Inferno - Sorry! Cliff hangers are my thang! What the hell is Turkey Day? Anyways, tah-ra!**

**A/N : Awww, Silas thinks she's perfect. Cute! Don't know how that came to be in the story, my fingers were tap, tap, tapping and that appeared! And poor Chloe, will she tell Silas what happened to her if it means getting Aringarosa's cooperation?**


	11. Keeping Secrets

**Chapter Ten**

**Keeping Secrets**

**-oOo-**

Chloe returned home, strangely empty and nauseous. She had no choice in the matter now, it was her move. She was more frustrated that none of this was working out as planned or at least remotely easy. Fache was suspended; he couldn't help her even if he wanted to. She couldn't ask Jerome because she would be putting his career on the line along with hers, plus there was some pride left in her that refused to ask for help.

Chloe poured herself a glass of wine and sat on her sofa in her dark and quiet apartment. She had been surprised that Silas had not blindly followed her to see Aringarosa once she revealed she could take him to him. But she could understand his suspicion. He was a clever man even though his entire life was ruled by a man in the sky and a man he shot.

Chloe ran her index finger around the rim of the wine glass and starred into space. She flashed back to the last thing Silas had to her.

'_That you're not as perfect as you seem'_

Chloe could only imagine the look on her face when he said that. It was utterly ridiculous and she felt ridiculous though she didn't know why, especially when a tingling feeling in the bit of stomach erupted as he starred into her eyes.

Finishing off the wine she shook her head, of course it hadn't been sexual. Silas was a celibate monk, not to say he didn't have urges, but she was sure his strong beliefs and perhaps with the aid of a cilice he was able to quash those feelings.

Chloe felt disgusted with herself for even thinking that there was a sexual and perhaps caring man behind those murderous pink eyes. He had still killed, whether or not the law saw it that way and he seemed to find joy in taunting her and making her feel weak in front of him. But if anything he made her want to be stronger, to prove she was not afraid nor intimidated by anyone.

Chloe put the rest of the bottle in the fridge and curled up in her bed, the question burning in her mind. Should she tell Silas? If it meant finishing the Council of Shadows? It all weighed on her now, so would she be selfish enough to decline the monks offer, or would she finally face her demons?

**-oOo-**

She hardly got any rest that night, but she lay in bed until eleven in the morning, purely to allow to debate in her head to play out, but she still had not reached a decision.

Frustrated, she recalled that she had dinner plans and forced herself out of bed to shower and spend the rest of the afternoon cleaning her flat and doing grocery shopping. She felt like treating herself with a day off the case, besides it was a Sunday and she still had to make a decision.

Although the dilemma never left her mind, her apartment had never looked cleaner or the fridge as stocked as it was. She normally did get carried away when she was trying not to think about something. She had almost worked her fingers to the bone after the first four weeks since being raped.

Chloe went about the arduous task of getting dressed for her godfather's dinner. Normally she would like to just throw on a comfy pair of jeans and a shirt, but because Isabella and Jonas would be there, she would have to make an effort. Both were the very wealthy and proper neighbours of Jerome. She never understood why they and her godfather were friends as they were completely different. Jerome liked beer, they liked wine. He liked football, they liked tennis. He holidayed in Toulouse or Bordeaux; they took their private yacht to the Mediterranean.

Chloe chose a nice pair of black trousers with an elegant frilly top, a silver pendant given to her by Jerome last Christmas and her only pair of high heeled ankle boots. Just as she had finished applying her make-up, Jerome called her mobile to let her know he was waiting in his car downstairs. With a final spritz of Chanel on her wrists, she grabbed her handbag and rushed down the stairs to join him.

Jerome's house was ridiculously large for just one person, but since his wife died, he felt loathed to move because of the many memories the house held. There were two bedrooms, one which was a guest room, normally reserved for Chloe when she housesat or didn't want to go back to an empty flat. The whole décor was subtly modern, aspects of the furniture was classic but with a modern twist. The kitchen opened up into the sitting area, where soft velvety sofas huddled around an open fire and plasma television perched above the fireplace.

Isabella and Jonas had already made themselves at home and were drinking enthusiastically from Jeromes fine wine glasses that he only broke out on special occasions.

Chloe received warming hugs from both. Isabella was in her late fourties, but still carried some of her youth in her vibrant red curly hair and sophisticated tailored suits. Jonas mirrored his wife in his smart dark trousers and pressed shirts.

"Oh my dear!" Iabella exclaimed with gusto, "I've been dying to see you, it's been too long" she smiled.

Chloe smiled, not very used to dramatic acts of welcome, but she recipucated curtiously and joined them both on the sofa with a glass of wine as they chatted about the weather and politics.

She always found it particularly hard with these meals that her godfather threw, because of the prying questions that began once the guests had consumed a little too much alcohol. Of course the winner of these questions was brought up just as the desert of ice cream had been cleared from the tables.

"So Chloe, when will we be expecting to see a ring on that finger of yours?" Isabella smiled, dabbing at her mouth with a serviette.

Chloe internally flinched, "Erm, not just yet" she said forcing a smile.

"Oh Jerome, you must invite some young men to these dinners of yours, some of the girls at my tennis club have bachelor sons I could introduce the pair of you too" she smiled, gulping down more wine.

Jerome glanced at his goddaughter and saw the pain behind her eyes. He always knew she hated these prying questions into her love life, especially as it hadn't been in existence since the rape. He wished he could take her out of this embarrassing situation, but it seemed she was one step ahead.

"If you excuse me, I must use the bathroom" she smiled and left the dinner table where Isabella was now discussing the absurd fashion sense her sister-in-law had.

In the bathroom, Chloe splashed water on her face and leaned over the sink. She liked Isabella, but she didn't know when to keep her mouth shut. It wasn't as if Chloe didn't receive any interest from the other sex. She had been asked out on numerous dates since the attack, but she just didn't feel comfortable about it. She had tried to force herself once, the guy was nice and friendly, there was nothing wrong with him, but she never replied to any of his calls and in the end he just gave up.

Feeling slightly refreshed, Chloe stepped out of the bathroom and starred into the guestroom where the door was open. She walked in and sat on the bed in the dark, listening to Isabella cackling away downstairs. Something crackled underneath her, she reached down and pulled out a thick brown file.

Curiously, Chloe opened the file and saw her own face starring up at her. It was picture taken the day after the attack. Her face was bruised and cut, her face was pale and alien to her, but why did Jerome have this? She flipped through the pages and was distressed to find report after report on her attack and that of several other girls, all around her own age that had been attacked by the same man, spanning right back to eighteen months ago. She held her hand to her mouth and sobbed. All this time, Jerome had all this information, all these other girls had been attacked by the same man and he hadn't said anything to her.

Chloe read the report on a twenty-two year old University girl, she was pretty apart from the black eye and slash down her cheek. She had been attacked walking home from a nightclub. Another girl was raped walking her dog through the park, another had been found distressed and half naked only a block from her parents home.

All these girls and Chloe had thought it had only been her. Shaking, Chloe dropped the file on the bed and furiously tried to wipe her tears away. Jerome had kept this from her, despite all her efforts to track down more leads. He had known all about this and had watched her futilly try to solve the case herself.

"Chloe?" came her godfathers voice from outside the bedroom.

"I'm in here, Jerome" she replied shakingly.

The dark silhouette stood in the doorway; she could see his eyes roam from her sad face to the file on the bed.

"Oh no" he whispered.

"Why the hell didn't you tell me?" she snapped through gritted teeth. Jerome took a step forward and wrung his hands.

"I am so sorry, Chloe. I was trying to protect you. I didn't want to see you get pulled apart by the case" he explained

"I was pulled apart! I was trying to find that monster so I could be whole again, but you went behind my back and withheld all this from me!" she stormed, "Those girls! Those girls are like me, they suffered like me and you thought I shouldn't know about that?"

Jerome looked terribly ashamed, "I am sorry, petit poisson-"

"Don't call me that! I can't believe you! You betrayed me" she hissed angrily.

"I only wanted what was best for you, I didn't want you to see what he had done to those girls, I only wanted to protect you!" he begged.

"I've been having nightmares about that night ever since it happened, I barely sleep, I barely live anymore, and the only way I can is if I catch that bastard myself! If I find him and make him pay for what he did to me, but you took that all away" she cried.

"Chloe…" Jerome said sadly, "…I am so sorry. I honestly thought I was doing what was best for you"

Tears blurred her vision, but her rage was clear and blunt, she couldn't bare to look at her godfather right now.

"I'm going home" she said and walked past him.

"Let me get my keys-" Jerome began but Chloe cut him off.

"I'll get a taxi!" she called over her shoulder and bounded down the stairs to see the curious faces of Isabella and Jonas.

"I say, what's going on up there?" she asked.

Chloe grabbed her coat and swung it over her shoulders, "It was nice to see you both again" she lied, "Good night" and with that she left the warmth of the house and entered the cold chill of the October air.

**-oOo-**

The bed was warm but Chloe felt cold inside. She knew she had perhaps been too harsh on Jerome. She knew he wouldn't intentionally hurt her, but she was angry that he had withheld that file when she had needed it to solve the case or at least get that bit closer to healing herself.

The phone rang for the seventh time that evening, each time Jerome left desperate messages for her to get in touch and that he was terribly sorry. She knew he was, but she still didn't want to talk to him, at least not yet. So glumly she flipped onto her back and dozed into an uncomfortable sleep.

**-oOo-**

**Strgazer - Thanks very much, hope this is still up to standard!**

**Possessed-Gummy-Bear-Inferno - Construction is already well on the way for that cliff problem of yours. Hope you had a good Thanksgiving. I don't actually know when it is so if it's still to come, have a good one!**

**Laura - Simple yet sweet, thanks!**

**Stephanie - Wow, another positive review, I better not stop this story!**

**Angie - Well you better get together with Phoenix Rising, she's attending a support group!**

**phoenixrisingGhostLoveScore - Thanks mate, what a lovely review, reallys gives me that Oomph to continue jotting down the little movie version of this story playing in my head.**

**Mish - Yes, yes Aringarosa just has to be in this story. Do you have some kinda Bishop fetish?**

**i run with scissors - See, you can have fun AND learn...French that is. Thanks for reviewing!**

**A/N : Wow! I've had such positive feedback for this fan fic! I really thought I get a load of grief about MarySue but hey! not a word! Or are you all waiting for me to make Chloe something completely unrealistic. Maybe I'll give her superpowers or learn seven languages in two hours?**

**Keep up the reviewing, folks! You are my inspiration!**


	12. A Tool

**Chapter Eleven**

**A Tool**

**-oOo-**

Chloe felt reluctant to leave the warmth and comfort of her bed on the dreary Monday morning, especially with the prospect of confronting her godfather about the rapist case. With all the strength she could muster, she pulled herself out of bed and proceeded to the bathroom to at least make herself appear presentable. There were dark shadows under her eyes; every line seemed deeper on her once flawless face. Now more then ever she felt older and with none of the advantages of age. She didn't feel wiser, she didn't have a family and she didn't have a clue what she wanted in life.

She spent a bit longer in front of the mirror that morning, applying more foundation and blusher under her sagging eyes and adding a flick of lipstick to her pale thin lips, then she unenthusiastically made her way to the office, keeping her head down and hoping not to bump into Jerome until she had figured out how she felt and what she was going to say to him.

Chloe was credulous as to how her life could have become so complicated in a matter of a few days. Not only did she have her godfather to worry about, but the absence of Capitaine Fache was felt within the whole DCPJ, whispers and speculations circulated throughout the building. Chloe had begun to feel quite sick by lunch time so decided to take her break outside in the courtyard, despite the chilly wind. She found herself sitting alone amongst the dying apple trees and muddy lawns. As she ate her dry turkey sandwich, she recalled the hurt and shame in Jeromes' eyes from the previous evening. He really did regret keeping her out of the loop, but he didn't have to. A small bubble of anger still boiled in the pit of her stomach, but by the end of her lunch break, it was only simmering. Jerome was looking out for her, he cared for her, and if it wasn't him who showed her love, she would have no one else.

Not twenty minutes before returning to her desk, a folder was dropped onto her keyboard, almost making Chloe jump out of her skin. She recognised the folder from Jerome's house and was startled to see him standing above her, the same weariness of her own face mirrored in his. Obviously, he had had little sleep as well.

"What's this?" was all Chloe could think to say. She pulled the file towards her and gripped it defensively.

"I'm giving it to you" he replied.

"Why?" Chloe asked, wishing Jerome would stop looking so sad and pathetic. It made the guilt of her outburst so much more unbearable.

"You're right, I had no right to keep this from you, but do you really think you could have seen through this investigation?" he asked, "I found it hard to talk to this girls, to dig around and find out who could do such a thing to you. And if I struggled, how do you think you would have coped?" he asked again.

Chloe hung her head, he was of course right, but it had not been his decision to make. She voiced her opinion, to which Jerome nodded and stood up straight, making to leave her, "I hope you remember that you're not the only woman to have fallen prey to this monster. It wasn't just about you, I hope you know that" he added and walked away, leaving Chloe feeling possibly worse then that morning.

As the day wore on, Chloe could not shake from her mind what her godfather had said. But what got to her most was that he was right, it wasn't just about her, it was about the other girls that were raped by that monster. All this time she had only thought it was her, but it wasn't. They had just as much right as her to see that monster put behind bars but she wasn't the person to see it done.

Something suddenly occurred to Chloe, Jerome's principle didn't just apply to the rapist case, but it held true to her current case. She was being selfish in holding out on Silas and one secret wasn't worth as many lives as the Council saw fit to take in the future. She had the power to stop their murderous ways and even though the monk was the last person she wanted to tell her little secret, she didn't see any other choice. The monk was the key to unlocking Bishop Aringarosa, he would be a powerful ally and she could not turn her nose up at that because she had a grudge against religion.

Finally making a decision, she gathered up the file Jerome had given her that morning and proceeded to drive to Saint Sulpice, she only wished she had arranged some meeting place with Silas, but she had been too emotional on their last meeting to have thought of it. Instead she settled down in one of the pews, the file on her lap and starred up at the alter, remembering all the reasons why she hated God and why religion had no place in her heart.

But now is seemed, religion still had room for her in its. She had been pulled into a world she had no understanding off and gradually she was beginning to see things from the eyes of the monk and from Aringarosa. Both would be quite approachable had they both decided not to take the cloth, but she was frustrated to hold a conversation with either as they were so easily offended, especially in matters of their faith and those who support it. She tried to imagine Silas without his robe, dressed maybe in jeans and a t-shirt. Of course his albinism would never allow him to truly blend in with a crowd, but at least he would look more human, more approachable.

However even so, she did not fear Silas, not much anyway. The fact that he had already killed did perturb her, but not as much as it should have. Maybe it was because she found it impossible for a monk as religious as Silas to have murdered? No that wasn't right, because the look in his eye as he strangled her showed he was more then capable of that. Maybe it was the fact that he didn't want to do those killings, maybe it was because he believed it was divine instruction.

Chloe checked her watch, she had been sitting for almost an hour and a half and Silas had not shown. She sighed in frustration, mainly at herself for letting her feelings get the better of her intelligence the last time she was in the chapel. She decided to give it another half an hour before she gave up and went back to the office, but it was a shame to waste the afternoon when she could have been working on other leads. She began fingering the file on her lap. She loathed to open it, she was afraid to after the horrific images and details she saw the last time. It made all the terror rush back to her and sent the hairs on the back of her neck rising.

Chloe had been so deep in thought that she hardly noticed the robed stranger sit within a few inches of her. A hood prevented her from seeing his features, but from the musty smell and the way the character limped over to her, she knew it could only be one person.

"I thought you wouldn't come" he said gruffly, pulling down his hood and piercing her with his ruby stare. Chloe starred back, not letting him get to her.

"Neither did I, but here we are" she replied stonily, her fingers straddling the folder in her hands.

"Have you reached a decision?" Silas asked. Chloe suddenly had second thoughts, but pushed it into the back of her mind so that she would not falter.

"I don't really have a choice now do I. It's my responsibility to protect the people, it's a sacrifice I'll have to make" then she shifted so she could look him square in the eye, "But I want you to promise, that whatever I say or what you see right now, you will never mention to anyone. And I mean anyone, not even Aringarosa"

Silas was affronted with her domineering tone, but took her request into consideration. Finally he nodded, "I will promise, but understand I will not lie"

Chloe shrugged, "I guess that's as good as I'm going to get" she sighed and gingerly handed the file over to the monk who took it questionably, "It happened over six months ago" she said as he flipped through the pages, "I was walking home at night and I was … attacked" she faltered, Silas looked at her with a frown on his face, obviously needing her to elaborate, "He'd held a knife to my chest the whole time he raped me" she explained, the painful tears welling up in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall, especially in front of the monk.

Silas studied the picture of Chloe sporting her wounds, he looked intently at her face, Chloe was unsure what he was thinking until he spoke, "That doesn't explain why you hurt yourself" he asked timidly.

Chloe breathed deeply, "Sometimes physical pain can disguise the emotional pain" she explained. Silas took a moment to let this sink in, but then he shut the folder and handed it back to Chloe.

"You have fulfilled your end of the bargain, now take me to Aringarosa" he said.

Chloe blinked. She was surprised that Silas didn't give her lecture or probe deeper into her past, but he seemed quite satisfied with her answer.

"How do you know you can trust me?" Chloe said before thinking. Silas stood up and looked down at her.

"I suppose I do not, but it was a big sacrifice to tell me what you did, so I must honour our agreement" he replied, lifting the hood over his white hair.

Chloe frowned but decided not to argue, "Fine, we'll take my car" she said and quietly led the limping monk out of the chapel and to her car.

The car journey was awkwardly uncomfortable, after all, Chloe was sitting with the man who had tried to strangle her and now knew her dark secret, whilst Silas was sitting with a woman he thought to be a blasphemer. Surprisingly though, Silas started to talk.

"Is that why you do not believe in our Lord?" he asked quietly, starring out of the window as Parisian buildings moved by.

Chloe glanced at him, "You could say that. I haven't had a lot of reason to believe in a higher power, I can't believe there is a God when bad things happen to good people"

"You mean like you" Silas said quickly. Chloe was desperate to avert the conversation.

"Back at the DCPJ, I took your word that Aringarosa was just a pawn to this Council of Shadows. I'm going to bring them down, Silas, so I need to know whether you're going to hinder me or just stay out of my way" she said.

Silas glared at her, "Do not presume to tell me what to do, woman. I am still a child of the Church, their rules are above those of your law" he said harshly.

"You do realise that if I catch you killing again, I will put you away for the rest of your life" she retorted. Silas glared at her, but then his anger fizzled.

"You do not have to worry, I will not murder under order again" he said quietly, starring once more out of the window. Chloe was surprised and frowned.

"Even if your Patron tells you to?" she asked.

"The Bishop never asked me to murder those people. The Teacher told him not to contact me until he said it was safe, it was the Teacher who ordered me to kill in the name of the Lord. He used me for his own means" he added venomously.

"Teabing wanted to publicise the Grail, completely the opposite to what the Council wanted to do with it" Chloe explained, Silas starred at her, "You almost betrayed the very people you thought you were helping without realising it" she said.

"That old cripple betrayed us" Silas snapped. Chloe blinked.

"Us?" she pressed.

"Yes, the Bishop and I" he replied, suddenly aware that Chloe had thought he had said too much, "I told you before, I know not about this Council"

Chloe shrugged and pulled into the hospital car park. Silas walked behind her the whole way up to the fifth floor. Naturally the guards were reluctant to let the monk past, but with gentle persuasion, Chloe got them both in. She stood beside the monk as Bishop Aringarosa's tired eyes swivelled from the window to the man he believed to be dead.

"What trickery is this?" he whispered, "That my sweet Silas should be standing in my very room" he gaped.

Silas took a painful step forward, "It is I, Bishop, Silas" he said in a strained voice.

Aringarosa eyes were wide and bright, he beckoned the monk to come closer, "My Silas, alive! It is impossible, she was telling the truth" he wheezed.

A frown creased Silas' brow. Chloe bit her lip; she had forgotten to mention to the monk that Aringarosa had been told he was dead.

"I have prayed for you since my arrest, Bishop" Silas said, bending his head down to Aringarosa so he could kiss him affectionately on the forehead. He straightened up and smiled down at his Patron. Chloe felt something inside of her brighten with the pure joy both parties felt at being with one another again. It was both beautiful and painful to watch and she felt uncomfortable being in the middle of it, she wanted nothing more then to leave the room, but she needed questions answered.

"Bishop Aringarosa, I've done as you asked" Chloe said, the two men suddenly turning their eyes to her, "I need your help, who are the members of the Council of Shadows?"

Aringarosa looked at Silas, then at the floor then finally to Chloe, "My dear child, I think you misunderstood what I implied before. I said that if you brought Silas to me, I would trust you, but I still do not know anything about this Council of which you speak. I am afraid you have been chasing a rumour" he smiled.

Chloe felt a wave of anger, the Bishop knew full well what his promise had sounded like to her and of course she know could not contest his decision as he was technically right, but she had told Silas everything and for nothing in return. It was as if a hollow space had appeared in her stomach and she felt utter rage for both Bishop and monk.

"You used me to get him back" she hissed dangerously low.

Silas stood up straight, ready to defend his patron if need be. This made Chloe all the more frustrated.

"God uses us all" Aringarosa smiled falsely. Chloe clenched her fists at her sides.

"Not me, Bishop, but I warn you now, I will bring the Council to justice and if I find that you and Silas are involved, no matter how deeply, I will bring you down" and with that she strode out of the room, feeling ready to punch someone right on the nose. She almost knocked right into a nurse who was holding a syringe as she went to move into the Bishops room.

As soon as she got into her car, Chloe erupted into a torrent of curses she had never before used and only heard on television. She now had nowhere to go, she had no more leads, and she was official stuck. She needed to talk to Fache before she did anything else, she hadn't heard from him in quite a while and she wondered whether he too had made any progress. Finally calm enough to drive, she put the car in reverse and headed away out onto the road.

Her mind was a swirl of red as she stopped at traffic lights, an elderly woman walked across with a walking stick and a leather handbag, Chloe visualised the old ladies peaceful life. She probably had a husband at home and a cat, she lived peacefully and simply, she wasn't embroiled in the farcical religious battle for the Holy Grail. She shook her head at the insanity of it all. Casually she glanced at her rear-view mirror and caught sight of a familiar black BMW that she had seen tailing her since she left the hospital car park and now that was at least a few blocks away.

Curiously she moved forward once the lights had turned green and made her way down the road, the car still in tow. In an effort to ridicule her own paranoia, she turned down a quiet street, not used very much by cars and to her horror the car followed. She tried to get a look at the driver, but all she could see was a dark suit and a pair of black sunglasses.

"Merde!" she hissed, someone was following her. Without a second thought she slammed her foot down on the accelerator and pushed off down the bumpy narrow road. The car behind did the same, dodging the dustbins and potholes just as Chloe did. She grasped her steering wheel tightly as she turned a sharp corner back out onto the main road, narrowly avoiding an oncoming transit van; she screamed as her bumper just pasted the front of the van and skidded over a roundabout. Panicking and gasping, she checked behind her again and saw the BMW rush past the transit van and give chase, she turned sharply again, cutting off another car, she ignored the harsh horn blasts and kept over taking car after car, trying desperately to get away for her pursuer.

She pushed the car into fourth gear as she screamed down another road, her eyes peeled open for an easy escape, but she could see none, already the sky was darkening, making it harder to see but she pushed on, turning a tight corner and knocking over a dustbin in the process. She checked behind her and was relieved to see that the car had disappeared. She checked again and looked all around her before she let off the accelerator and trudged on down the quiet road, lined with houses and small shops. Chloe reached into her bag for her mobile phone, she needed to warn someone, tell anyone that someone was following her. But she didn't know who to call. She couldn't put her godfather in danger and it was likely that Fache was being watched. She didn't have anyone.

Suddenly she heard an engine rev and before she could put her own accelerator down, the BMW had already ploughed into the side of her car, knocking her a good few feet off of the road. Chloe screamed, smacking the side of her head against the car door as she dropped her phone on the floor. Desperately she rammed the gear stick into first and shot away off the grassy verge she had landed on and jetted down the road, the BMW hot on her tail.

"Merde!" she screamed as the pursing car caught up and began ramming the back of her small citron. Chloe struggled to keep the car straight; her knuckles were white from holding the wheel so tightly. She slammed the accelerator on again and turned another tight corner between two houses. The BMW tried to follow, but the car was too wide and wedged between the two buildings, the engine roaring and the metal groaning in an effort to give chase, but Chloe broke free of the street and joined the traffic heading back into the city.

For the next two minutes, Chloe glanced frantically on all sides to make sure the BMW was behind her; it was only when she calmed down that she felt the throbbing pain on her temple. She raised a hand to sooth it and found it sticky with blood.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, trying to drive and stem the flow of blood that was now dripping onto her shirt at the same time.

The flow of blood began to die down as she got within a few hundred yards of her apartment, nervously she peered up at the bedroom window of her home, she gulped down fresh fear as she recognised her purple curtains, but they were handing awkwardly against the window as if someone had pulled them roughly around. Chloe always pinned them back neatly against the side of the window.

Gingerly, she pulled her car up onto the pavement, grabbed her bag and got out. She cringed as she saw the huge dents and peeled paint where the BMW had impacted her small car. But there was no time to worry about that. Quickly she scurried across the road and made her way up the fire escape to her own floor. She sneaked through the door, tiptoed to her front door and gasped when she saw it was ajar. She did a circle to make sure no one was standing behind her before she crept to the door and gingerly pushed it open, afraid of what she would see, and when she did, she gasped in horror.

**-oOo-**

**strgazer - Thanks mate, another short but sweet!**

**Possessed-Gummy-Bear-Inferno - Hey! Hands of Chloe's wine, thats mine! lol, glad you're enjoying it!**

**pheonixrisingGhostLoveScore - Wow, lovely review, you do cheer me up!**

**In Omnibus Caritas - Well Silas might not like Chloe now but things might change, and at the moment, the feeling is quite mutual!**

**A/N: I don't know how some of you are going to feel about Aringarosa being a bit of a bad sport in this chappie, but he's only looking out for number one! And how did you feel about his reuniting with Silas? Let me know!**


	13. Lost and Found

**Chapter Twelve**

**Lost and Found**

**-oOo-**

The sight hit Chloe like a slap in the face. Everything in her apartment was either turned over, broken or missing, including her computer and the case file she had left on the monitor.

Chloe walked through the rubble, her sofa had been pushed over and the pillows slashed, bleeding the stuffing. Her coffee table had been smashed into splinters, her television turned over, curtains ripped, light shade yanked off the ceiling and everything from her cupboards and drawers had been thrown unceremoniously onto the floor.

"Oh my God" she breathed. Chloe knew it couldn't have been a coincidence; the people who had just tried to kill her had to be the people who had done this to her home. But who the hell were they? And why were they doing this to her? She shifted through her things and found that nothing else had been taken but her computer system and the case file, which could only mean one thing. It was all connected to the case.

"Son of a-" Chloe growled. The Council must have found her out and wanted to shut her up, except she wasn't home, so they made it look like a burglary and took what they needed so she didn't have anything to work from. Chloe knew she should be terrified, but anger boiled over the fear. She was furious that men who were supposed to be of the cloth would try and murder her and would come into her home to desecrate it and steal.

Chloe kicked aside a large splinter and found her phone, still intact. She lifted it up and sat on the arm of her sofa. Her phone. It was the only thing she had left that the thieves had not destroyed. She frowned as she turned the phone in her hand, why would they leave the phone in one piece when they destroyed everything else?

As she lifted the receiver it all began to fall into place. The phone was tapped. They hadn't got their chance to kill her, so they wanted to find someone she cared about and kill them until they finally got to her. She knew how these people worked; she had seen it before in past reports she had written. That meant that Jerome was in danger! Throwing the bugged phone to the side she pulled out her mobile, but her eyes suspiciously razed the apartment. She didn't know what kind of technologies this Council had; it might be that there were hidden cameras and bugs lying about. She had to leave right now.

After raiding her bedroom for a suitcase, she crammed as many clothes as she could and left the flat, making sure to close the door behind her and left down the fire escape, her eyes constantly flitting about, trying to find anything suspicious. She saw the full extent of the damage to her car as she ran up behind it. The bumper was destroyed and scratches ran up and down the paintwork. Overall, it was going to draw a lot of attention, so she would have to ditch it as soon as she could.

As she bundled into the driver seat, she reversed down the road and turned around, heading away from the city to the quieter outskirts where she could stop and think. As she drove, she kept picturing her godfathers face in her mind. Although she was still angry with him, she couldn't stand by and let him be another victim of the Council. She would have to let him know as soon as possible that his life was in danger; she only hoped he took her seriously enough to get away from the city. And then there was Capitaine Fache. She hadn't heard from him in ages and she began to wonder whether the Council had been to his home and tried to kill him. Maybe he was already dead; she had no way of telling.

Finally, Chloe pulled into a car park for a recreational field. She tucked her car between a large people carrier and a chunky 4 by 4 so no one could see it unless they were right behind or in front of her car. The wind was beginning to pick up, so Chloe fished a blue jacket out of her suitcase and with her mobile phone, headed toward a clump of trees where a damp old bench sat, sheltering the occupants from the wind and from view of the road.

Chloe perched herself on the bench and pulled the collar of her coat up around her cheeks and ears, then she pulled her mobile out of her pocket and dialled Jerome's office number. She knew she was taking a risk but it was highly unlikely that her mobile was tapped considering she had it on her person all the time. She felt her heart racing as she heard the phone ring and ring on the other end.

"Lieutenant Collet" came the unenthusiastic reply. Chloe felt light-headed with relief.

"Jerome, it's me" she began.

"Chloe? What's wrong? You sound upset, where are you?" he asked. The paternal worry in his voice made Chloe's voice sound shaky and tears almost threatened to spill. She needed her godfather more then she knew, she was lost and alone but she had a job to do.

"Please, be silent for a moment, Jerome. I'm going to ask you to do something for me, but I can't answer any of your questions right now, you just have to promise to me that you will do as I ask" she said, toughing her voice so she didn't sound like a frightened little girl.

"Please, Chloe, you're scaring me. What's wrong? Where are you?" he asked.

"Please Jerome. I need you to leave the city for a few days, just until I call you. Go and stay in Isabella's and Jonas' yacht, take it as your holiday" she rushed.

"Wait, Chloe. What's going on? Are you in trouble?" he asked. Chloe was growing frustrated but she understood his concern.

"This case Fache gave me is getting a bit complicated. I think the people I'm after know about me and are going to hurt the people I care about, which is you Jerome, so please just do as I ask" she pleaded.

"My God, have they hurt you? _Where _are you?" he asked more urgently.

Chloe held her head in her palm, "I can't tell you Jerome, just _please_, go. Promise me you will" there was a silence, which Chloe hoped was her godfather considering her request, but when he replied his voice was shaky and unsure.

"I tried to contact Bezu this morning. He didn't answer his phone, he always answers his phone"

Chloe sighed, "I need to find him, but if you don't go, the same thing could happen to you. I know what I'm doing, I have a plan, but I need to know you're safe"

"And what about you? You expect me to go off on holiday and leave you here to face this danger? What kind of godfather would I be to walk away from you?" he asked.

Chloe almost laughed out loud, it had been easier in her mind to talk Jerome into leaving the city, but it seemed it would be as impossible as getting Silas to denounce God. She had to improvise.

"Fine, okay Jerome, but can you please just stay at a hotel somewhere? I just don't want you to stay at home right now. If they can find me they can find you"

"Find you? Jesus, Chloe, have they hurt you?" he panicked. Chloe bit her tongue for her bad choice of words.

"No, they just gave me a fright when they followed me home. I'm okay" she replied, though the silence on the other end of the phone told her that Jerome was not convinced.

"Alright, _mon petit poisson_. I'll stay at a hotel. But I'll have my mobile with me at all times and if you are in any trouble, any trouble at all, _please_ ring me" he begged.

"Of course, just keep an eye out of anyone suspicious. The guy that was following me today was in a black BMW"

"Okay, you take care" Jerome said. Chloe smiled sadly to herself and realised she just had to say something to her godfather before she hung up.

"Take care yourself and Jerome, I forgive you. You're the only family I have" she said, close to tears again.

"Same here" Jerome replied in a chocked voice, then Chloe shut off her phone and starred at the grass by her feet, swaying in the harsh winds suddenly feeling more alone then ever.

Something about sitting in the quiet must have helped Chloe brain digest what had just occurred over the past few hours, because her mind began to clink and whirl, tying loose ends to loose ends until she made an infuriating discovering.

Who could have told the Council that she was on the case? Who could have given her name? Who could have betrayed her?

"Aringarosa" she hissed angrily. The Bishop had sold her out; she mentally kicked herself for being stupid enough to trust him. He must have called his people as soon as she had left the hospital and told then she was there. One of the Council's hit men must have followed her and the rest was history. Chloe clenched her fists and cursed the day she had met the Bishop, but that also meant that she was now against the monk. Silas was a loyal subject to Aringarosa, his word was law in Silas' eyes. He had even said to her that the law of the Church was beyond that of the law of man, but then he had surprised her by saying he would no longer kill under order. But did that mean even by Aringarosa? If he ordered him to kill her, would he do it? She was curious to know, yet terrified to find out. Either way, both men were her enemies and she vowed not to trust a single word either of them said.

Now she had to plan her next move, it was clear to her that she needed to find Fache, he was the only inside man she would trust, despite being Opus Dei. It was evident that the Council wanted him silenced and she was worried that she would be too late. She would have to go to his home.

Chloe returned to her car and started the engine. She was glad to have been invited to Capitaine Fache's home a few times for dinner parties so she would have no trouble finding his house, but she would have to leave her car a few blocks away as not to be detected. As she drove into the city, the roads grew thicker and thicker in traffic. She checked her watch; it was almost three, which meant parents were on their way to pick up their kids from school. It made Chloe think back to her own school days, she would watch from the windows as girls rushed out to meet their parents, hugging and kissing with big smiles plastered on their face. She had never had that, save for when Jerome came to visit her, but because of his job, those visits had been very rare.

She snapped out of her thoughts as she rounded the fourth road from Fache's house. Carefully, she pulled into the multi-storey car park built for the shopping centre next door. As she sat in her car, she tucked her gun into the back of her trousers and her phone into her jacket pocket. For added disguise, she grabbed a baseball cap from her suitcase and tucked her dark hair under it before lifting the hood of her jacket over the cap. To any other person, she just looked like a pedestrian avoiding the sharp wind. Finally she tucked her badge in her other jacket pocket and made her way out of the car park and towards Fache's home.

The pavements were busy with shoppers and small children walking with their parents. Chloe tried to blend in by visiting the local book store and buying a book on Opus Dei and a sandwich from the local deli. She walked along the street with a bag in one hand and shovelling a sandwich in her mouth with the other. She kept her eyes open, looking for anything unusual, she was sure she had seen the same BMW go past a few times, but on close inspection found the licence plates to be different.

Finally she rounded the last corner and strained to see the front of the Capitaine's house. She saw the familiar black bars over the top bedroom windows and the dead fern on the doorstep. She glanced at the opposite side of the road and saw a white van sitting in place, two men in the front. Chloe watched as they chatted to one another, but their eyes frequently turned to the front door of Fache's house.

Forced to go back, Chloe headed down a small narrow alleyway, full of dumpsters and stray cats, her shoes kept sinking into foul smelling puddles and drops of water from the overfull guttering kept landing on her hooded head. She kept her eyes peeled as she counted off the houses until she reached number fourteen. Fache's house. She looked over the rotting fence and glanced over quickly. There was a small poorly kept garden, no bigger then a car parking space. The grass was wild and unkempt while weeds and moss grew unchecked. Chloe looked left and right down the alleyway but nothing stirred or moved, she was completely alone, so she grabbed the fence and leapt over, landing softly on the grass. Crouching, she rushed to the back door and peered through the small window. As she expected, the whole place had been turned inside out. She knew that Fache was particularly house proud, she had often seen piles of paper work and dust on the shelves, but everything had been turned out of place and furniture on its side.

Slowly, Chloe tried to handle of the door only to find it was locked, which wasn't surprising, anyone living in the city locked their doors, you were foolish not to. Her eyes fell on the mat by her feet, she smirked as she lifted the corner and to her surprise, she found a small gold key. Picking up the cold metal object, she fitting it easily into the lock and opened the door so she could slip in unnoticed and strained her ears to hear any sounds of anyone moving about.

Chloe removed the hood and the cap from her head and made her way up the stairs of the small house and into the master bedroom. The duvet had been pulled apart and the pillowed plundered so the feathers lay like snow on the carpet. Chloe rummaged through the opened drawers, but she could see nothing that would be of any help. She snuck through the bathroom and guest bedroom, but still found nothing so she returned downstairs and kept low so she could not be seen from outside. The television in the lounge had been overturned, the sofa slashed, just has hers had been. The kitchen had been ransacked as well; food had been thrown out of the fridge, cutlery spilling from the drawers and papers strewn across the dinner table. Chloe sifted through the papers and found them to be reports on several cases Fache was working on. Then her eye was caught on the leather bound diary she had seen the Capitaine carry once or twice. She grabbed it but found the pages had all be torn out, frustrated she dropped it onto the ground where it landed on another wad of papers. She bent down and flicked through them and caught a thin page of paper titled under '_Names & Addresses', _it was a page of the diary the intruders had missed. She picked the paper up and found that the only entry had been scribbled out. She lifted the paper to the window and saw, shining through the paper, the number Fache had tried to hide. It was the number of an Opus Dei house right here in Paris.

Excited that she had finally found a clue, Chloe shoved it into her pocket and decided that she had found all she was going to in this place. She grabbed a carton of orange from the fridge and put into a bag a few things she could eat later if she couldn't find a place to shop and left the house, making sure to lock the door behind her as if she had never even been there.

The address on the piece of paper was unfamiliar to Chloe, so she was forced to find a library and check the local maps. It seemed the Opus Dei house she was looking for was no longer then a ten minute drive, but she was loathed to go and get her car and drive it any further into the city. As she put the map back on its rack and thanked the friendly librarian, she checked the details on the parking ticket she had shoved in her pocket and was releaved to find that it was a twenty-four hour car park. That meant she could at least leave the car there until dark when her citron would be less likely to be recognised.

She shoved the ticket back into her pocket and left the library, being careful to put her baseball cap back on. A light rain had begun to fall, forcing people with umbrellas to open then offering further cover against her enemies.

Chloe flagged down a taxi and gave the driver directions to the Opus Dei house. As she leaned back against the warm car seat, she began to question Fache's decision to hide out in a house made to protect the very people who were after them. He would have made a huge risk in going to them, who knew if they were working for the Council? He couldn't be sure of that, could he?

Chloe hoped that her godfather had taken her advice and gone to find a hotel to spend the next few days in. She hated to think what they would do to him if they discovered his connection to her, she wanted to know who these people were who were doing this to her. All she had seen were shadows and suits; she couldn't fit a face to her enemy, except perhaps Aringarosa and Silas.

The driver stopped outside a modest looking semi detached brick house. The windows were small and sheltered by heavy looking blinds. The door was peeling and the front garden was overgrown, it wasn't anything special, any person walking by would have just ignored it. Chloe paid the driver and grabbed her bag before stepping up to the old front door of the house, her heart racing. She heard footsteps before she had even knocked on the door and it was pulled open revealing an elderly man in typical monks robes.

_Great_, Chloe thought, _another fanatic like Silas_.

Respectfully she nodded to the man, "I do apologise for intruding, but I was wondering if a man named Bezu Fache is here?" she asked politely, adding a smile.

The man's weathered face looked her up and down suspiciously, "I'm afraid I cannot help you, young miss, we protect our brother's privacy. If he is here, it is to be alone with God" he replied.

Chloe almost stomped her foot angrily, "I understand, but this is a police matter" she added, pulling her badge from her trousers, "Please tell _Capitaine_ Fache that _Officer_ Chloe Blanc is here to see him and I won't leave until I do" she smiled.

The monk scowled and closed the door in her face, uncharitably leaving the cold, wet woman in the rain outside, but no longer then a minute later, the door reopened and this time a younger man shroud in a thick robe answered. She didn't recognise him at first, but when he lifted up his hood, Chloe's eyes widened as she saw the Capitaine sharpe cold eyes.

"Well get inside!" he ordered, "Before someone sees you" and he grabbed Chloe by the arm and hauled her into the warmth of the house.

Fache ushered her down the narrow hallway into a sitting area, already occupied by two middle-aged men in identical robes, pouring tea. They hardly took any notice of Fache and Chloe, only nodding to them to acknowledge their existence.

Chloe was shown to an armchair by the window; Fache took the stool in front of her and offered her a cup of tea. She declined.

"Capitaine, what are you doing here?" she asked first.

The man before her lifted his sleeves and went about pouring a cup of tea into a small china cup, "It's safe. The Council has no reach here, although I can't say that for some of the other safe houses in Paris" he replied, carefully sipping his boiling tea.

"I went to your house today, there was a van outside and someone's ransacked your house" she explained. Fache nodded as if this was not news to him.

"I know, I came home after I called you last. I saw the van and two suspicious men standing outside my house. I managed to escape before they got to me"

"They got to me" she replied sharply, "They tried to kill me, my car's a wreak and I got home to find it upside down. Those bastards tore everything apart and took my computer" she explained.

"Then you let them see you" Fache replied, "I told you to be careful"

"I was being careful!" she hissed, trying to keep her voice down, "but I was betrayed"

Fache frowned, "By who?" he enquired.

Chloe sighed, she knew he would be mad that she showed an inch of trust in the Bishop, but she needed his help more then anything right now and he needed to know everything she did. So taking a deep breath, she told how she went to see Aringarosa and made a deal with him to return Silas and how she had taken the monk to the hospital (although she left out how she convinced Silas to trust her) and then how Aringarosa had refused to co operated and sent her on her way only to be pushed off the road by a black BMW.

"You were foolish to trust the Bishop" Fache said darkly.

"I didn't have a choice!" she hissed in return, "You couldn't help me, I couldn't put Jerome in that kind of danger and I keep telling you I'm not trained for this! I did what I thought was a good idea at the time"

"And put both our lives in danger" Fache hissed back.

"_You_ put our lives in danger! _You_! When you put me on the case, when _you_ got caught going to the Bastille. But I need your help, I can't go home, I can't go to work" she said with gusto, surprised at how unafraid she was of the Capitaine now.

He lifted a finger and jabbed it at her, "Don't you _dare_ talk to me like-"

"You're suspended remember, _Capitaine_, and it's unlikely I'm going to see another day thanks to you dragging me into your personal affairs" she hissed.

The Capitaine gaped like fish, obviously aware she was telling the truth was unable to defend himself. Instead he settled on taking another sip of his tea.

"You're right of course, Chloe" he said, surprising her by using her first name. It seemed to distil some calm in her and she settled back into the armchair.

"Just tell me what to do next. I keep messing everything up. I know I was wrong to trust Silas and the Bishop but I want to finish this, the Council's ruined my life, I want to ruin theirs" she said.

Fache nodded, "Well you've told me all you found out, but you need to use your expertise to figure out the next step"

Chloe frowned, "Well I was hoping you can tell me more about this Bishop Horus you told me about on the phone. Who is he?"

Fache sighed, "He's another pawn in the game. I held him in high regard before, but when he made the complaint to my superiors, I'm now quite convinced he's a member of the Council, why else would he see the release of a murderer?"

Chloe nodded, frustrated that she hadn't made that connection herself, she had just had so much on her mind recently that she just wasn't thinking straight, but as she sat with the Capitaine, the clues were coming together.

"These people, these Bishops in the Council, they have everything at their disposal, don't they?" she asked.

Fache shrugged, "Mostly, they are unofficially connected to Opus Dei and the Vatican, their financial gains could be limitless" he replied.

"Exactly and because they're men with everything, you can't just buy your way into their confidence and expect them to talk" Chloe said, more to herself then anything. All her training was coming back now she had time to think, her mind was whirling like it had in her classes.

"What's your point?" he asked.

"Well, what do men with everything, fear most?" she asked and she too saw the cogs in Fache's mind begin to turn.

"Losing it" he smiled.

"Exactly!" Chloe said, clicking her fingers, "I need to take something of theirs to convince one of them to point fingers" she added.

"And who and what are you talking about?" Fache asked, "We know nothing about Horus, he's an underground Bishop, hardly available even for charity events"

"I mean, Aringarosa. You should have seen the way he looked at Silas when he saw him alive, it was like a father looking on his lost son. They have such a bond I know he'll do anything for him, even betray his Council" she replied.

Fache smirked, "What are you saying, Miss Blanc?" but she knew he knew the answer.

"I'm going to kidnap Silas" she replied.

**-oOo-**

**Miranda - Hey, thanks for the review. I like that your liking the suspence. Let's me know I'm doing a good job!**

**Possessed-Gummy-Bear-Inferno - Hello Crazy, glad you're still hanging in there. Sorry but I am the Queen of the Cliffs! It's suicide to read my work.**

**phoenixrisingGhostLoveScore - Aw! Thanks mate. I wasn't sure I could pull that car chase off, but I couldn't get the idea out of mind and I could almost see it play out like a movie and couldn't resist!**

**Laura - I know, car chases rock! I can't get enough of them!**

**Mish - Lol, Bishop Aringarosa fetishes definitly means you're crazy girl!**


	14. Badge and Bribary

**Chapter Thirteen**

**Badge and Bribary**

**-oOo-**

Fache was hardly convinced that it was a good idea to kidnap a murderous monk, especially since Chloe would be doing the kidnapping and she was hardly the strongest person in the force. But if she had a gun and he didn't, she had a chance.

"How long do you think you'll be here?" Chloe asked once she'd convinced him of her plan. He shrugged.

"I should imagine quite a while, it's the only place where I can go that's safe" he sighed, "You do understand I would have offered you solace if-"

"If I was Opus Dei" she nodded, "But thank you anyway, sir" she said, slipping back into formality.

"I trust you warned your godfather?" he asked, twiddling his thumbs.

"Oui, he refused to leave the city but he'll be staying at a hotel for a few days" she replied, they sat in an uncomfortable silence for a second or two before Chloe got to her feet to insinuate it was time for her to go, "Thank you for your help, Capitaine, I should leave you to it" she added.

Fache got to his feet but seemed struck with a thought and bent over a table, shifting through papers and pens. When he withdrew, he handed Chloe a piece of paper with a number on it.

"This is the number to this Opus Dei house, call me if you have an emergency, but try not to let them get it" he said sternly, handing Chloe the paper who tucked it carefully with her car ticket.

"I will, sir. But I hope when I next speak to you it will be the end of this madness" she said as she was led to the front door. Fache gave a stiff smile and handed her the baseball cap. Chloe tucked her hair back under her hood and bid farewell before rushing away from the house.

Now she had to formulate a plan to get Silas. She still had her pistol in her bag which she carried with her, but she couldn't just waltz into the hospital and hold a gun to the monks head. She would need to get to him away from the hospital and away from the people. She would have to become the predator and not the prey, but she still needed to keep and eye out for the Council's lapdogs that were looking for her.

Chloe continued to walk into the city, the roads were gridlocked so it made more sense to walk then get a taxi. The city was teeming with tourists and children walking home from school, she blended in easily with the crowds, but kept her head down all the same. Her eyes were constantly swivelling around her, to every face and every car, she was sure she saw the BMW pass at least once, but it was quite a popular car for businessmen so it was likely not to be her stalkers.

The hospital was just around the corner, a steady throng of people were coming and going out of the doors, she entered the building and pulled her hood down, but kept her cap on. She walked up to the receptionist she saw before and flashed her badge to remind her who she was.

"I was wondering if you could tell me if a monk has recently been in or out of this hospital. He's quite easy to recognise, tall, white hair, pale skin and he's wearing a robe?" she asked.

The receptionist didn't even need time to think, "Oh yes of course, he left earlier today and returned with a shopping bag, but I haven't seen him leave since. Hang on" she said and turned to the two other women behind the counter to ask them if they had seen him leave since that morning. Neither of them had seen him so it was apparent he was still with Aringarosa.

"Did you want us to leave him a message or something?" she asked.

"No thank you, we just need to ask him a few questions but I understand he has some catching up to do with his Patron so I'll see him later" she smiled and left.

Luckily there was a hotdog stand opposite the hospital, she brought one and a can of coke and perched herself on a bench beside the stand, her eyes peeled on the faces leaving the hospital, but she never once saw the monk.

She checked her watch, already it was getting dark and it almost six in the evening. She knew she couldn't sit around forever but she was still sure that Silas would have to leave soon, even just to pray or repent. Then finally as her eyes began to drift, she caught a flash of white hair and brown robes in the thinning crowds. She got to her feet and found her bottom had grown cold and numb. As casually as she could, Chloe crossed the road and picked his tall frame from the crowd heading back towards Saint Sulpice. Nervously, Chloe felt around her bag for her gun and felt her fingers rest on the cold metal.

Confidence growing, Chloe hurried to keep up with the tall monk, her eyes never leaving the back of his head. He looked back only once, but Chloe had dropped her head so the beak of her cap covered her face and when she looked up he was moving forward again. Another thing she noticed was the painful way he seemed to be limping, although Chloe felt that this would make his capture easier, she couldn't help but feel a little concerned and thought back to the evil cilice he had wrapped around his leg. She wondered if he still had it on.

She was snapped out of her thoughts when instead of crossing the road into Saint Sulpice, Silas turned down a narrow path between two large buildings. Frowning, Chloe followed, being careful to keep her distance from the monk. She stayed between the mouth of the alleyway, watching until Silas would out of view, the she moved on, keeping her steps light and slow so she couldn't be heard. The alleyway curved slightly, cautiously, Chloe moved forward but found as the path straightened again, there was no sign of the monk.

"Merde!" she hissed quietly under her breath, her eyes darted frantically to see which house he had entered, but all the doors were closed. Except, she found, there was a golden plaque on one of the doors nearby. She squinted and moved closer, her eyes widen and she smiled in triumph.

**Opus Dei House**

**Cul-de-Sac, Paris**

"**Children of God"**

_So this is where he's staying_, Chloe thought. It seemed unlikely the hospital would let Silas stay over night at the hospital, especially since he needed to repent. Chloe looked about and saw no one so rushed back down the alley and out onto the busy street. She had half a mind to go in there after Silas and beat the crap out of him for betraying her, but she had to use her head, think and be like a cop. That was easier said then done considering she was now in hiding and any contact with her godfather would mean endangering his life.

She had to be prepared for when she took the monk; she needed to know where she was going, how she would get there and how she would keep him. Chloe knew of a convenience store nearby where she could get some duct tape, she had the food from Fache's house still in her bag, but her spare clothes and other homely items were still in the boot of her car and she would have to take a taxi to get back there.

Making a decision, Chloe made her way to the store and grabbed a basket throwing in all the things she would need overnight; deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrush and duct tape were among the main things. Once she paid for the items, she asked the clerk where the nearest hotel or motel was, she was directed to Hotel Picard which was just around the corner.

The building was nothing special, the bricks were old and mossy, the windows were peeling paint and weren't even double glazed, but it would do and it was cheap. She got a small single room equipped with nothing but the essentials. One small narrow bed was in the centre with two lamps either side, a small wooden chest of drawers was pushed against the wall with a small television perched on top. The carpet was dark and barely thicker then paper and the wallpaper was a foul brownish colour and peeling at the sides. Chloe dropped her things on the bed and went about making herself comfortable. Firstly, she decided, she needed a shower; she had been running about all day and stank to high heaven.

She stripped her clothes off and dropped them in the shower with her so they could enjoy a good wash as well. The dirt and stress of the day swirled down the plug hole with the water and Chloe felt refreshed and ready to proceed with her plan the next day. She took her wet clothes and hung them on the shower curtain railing before wrapping a towel around her head and body and flicking on the television.

Not surprisingly there was nothing in the news about two police officers being hunted down by members of a secret society of Bishops who made it their business to kill people who got in their way. She smirked as she dried her hair with the towel and grabbed an apple out of her bag. Once she was dry and fed, she got into bed and tried to let the troubles of the day sink away, but like always, they stuck to her like glue and made her toss and turn in her sleep, but she was grateful for the warm bed, she just wished she were in her own.

**-oOo-**

The next day was as foul as the previous. The rain came down like bullets and little figures ran about in big coats and umbrellas. Chloe got changed into her adequately clean clothes and went about preparing herself for what she had planned.

She had decided to grab Silas as he left his Opus Dei house, it was nearest to the hotel and the large crowds of people would help disguise them. She grabbed her jacket and cap then tucked the gun and duct tape into her pockets. She rushed downstairs, declined the offer for the breakfast menu and rushed out into the rain towards the alleyway. She could only hope that Silas had not already left for the hospital, but it was still early in the morning and the sky had not yet brightened.

Chloe kept her hands in her pocket to hold the gun and tape in place as she jogged down the alleyway and found herself before the Opus Dei house. She ducked the side and stood near the door, her back pressed against the wall. Her heart began to race at the thought of taking on the tall and powerful monk, but she didn't have any other plan, it was this or find herself hiding from shadows for the rest of her life. She resolved herself and pulled the handgun out of her pocket.

The rain was beginning to level off, but still the monk had not left the house ten minute since Chloe had got there. She was beginning to lose hope when the door finally opened, Chloe tensed her, her hand tightening on the gun, but two women walked out of the house, completely oblivious to the wet girl standing beside them. She calmed as the women walked away from her, still chatting to one another and dropped the gun back into her pocket.

Suddenly the door opened once more, but no one left, she could hear to men speaking to one another, one of them she was sure was Silas, but his voice sounded weak and distant.

"Are you sure you should be going in this condition, my brother?" came a voice she did not recognise.

"I would consider it a sin not to visit my Patron when his pain is so much greater then mine" came the reply.

"I understand, be careful and may the peace of the Lord be with you"

"And you" Silas replied and Chloe saw him for the first time that morning as he stepped unsurely out into the rain. The door closed behind him, but before he could take another step, Chloe clicked the pistol off of safety and pointed it dramatically at the back of Silas' skull.

"I shouldn't have to tell you that I am holding a gun to the back of your head" Chloe muttered.

Silas remained unmoved, only breathing heavily as the gentle rain ran down his pale face.

"I have no time for you, woman" he mumbled, lacking the edge of contempt. Chloe frowned, something was definitely wrong here. Where was his anger? Where was his retaliation?

"Aringarosa will have to wait, put your hands behind your back" she ordered.

Silas paused for a moment before complying; Chloe pulled the duct tape out of her pocket with one hand and carefully tied his hands together with some difficulty.

"Let's go" she muttered and grabbing Silas' sleeved pulled him along next to her, her gun at her hip, pointing directly at Silas. The monk was definitely limping painfully, his face winched every time he took a step and his eyes were unusually distant. Chloe ignored the signs of an ill man and marched the monk into the hotel. She walked up to the receptionist, Silas still at her side and pulled her badge out of her pocket.

"I don't want to be interrupted for the rest of the day unless it's an emergency, and don't tell anyone about this" she instructed, nodding her head towards the monk.

The shocked receptionist nodded and watched as the unlikely couple got into the lift.

"The Bishop will not rest until be finds me" Silas mumbled.

"That's what I'm hoping for" Chloe replied, letting go of his arm and pushing the button for the second floor.

"What do you mean?" Silas asked. Chloe turned on him, her anger flared on by the question.

"I mean, I don't like being used" she snapped, "You and your Patron used me and set me up, I've been dodging men who've been trying to kill me since yesterday. That's what I mean" she said, tugging his arm roughly as the lift door opened. She hauled him into her room and was surprised at how well he complied; he wasn't even putting up a fight. Chloe was growing suspicious.

Carefully she locked the door behind her and found Silas sitting on the bed, a sweat had grown on his brow and his eyes were fluttering. Something was very wrong.

"Silas?" she asked a hint of concern in her voice.

He looked up at her but did not reply. Desperately she cleared her things of the bed and cut Silas' restraints so he could lie down. There was no question that he was not faking the pain he seemed to be in.

Gingerly she reached for the drenched hem of his robe and cautiously began to lift it. Silas twitched and tried to sit up.

"What are you doing?" he demanded.

"Just shut up, I need to check something" she snapped and lifted the hem of his robe higher until she could see the purple and yellow infected flesh.

"Jesus" Chloe muttered. The cilice was still tightly wound around the monk's leg, constricting the blood flow. She reached for the cilice and felt Silas flinch again. There was no way she could deal with this here, she didn't have the expertise but she couldn't take the monk to hospital in case he was recognised or worse.

Chloe grabbed the duct tape and lifted Silas' hands to the headboard of the bed where she tied them tightly, "I'm not taking any chances" she mumbled to Silas, who seemed to be dozing in and out of a fever induced sleep.

Hurriedly, she rushed back downstairs and flagged down the receptionist she spoke to before, "Excuse me, the man I came in with, he had quite a bad infection, do you know of anywhere I can take him nearby" she asked.

"Well there's the Hopitaux de Paris-"

"Non, non" Chloe stressed, "Somewhere smaller, less conspicuous. You see, the man you saw is a witness to a case and I can't risk taking him to a very public place"

The receptionist seemed only too eager to help, she seemed intrigued with the whole situation, but she finally gave her the location of a clinic nearby which mainly took care of overnight emergencies, whilst in the daytime catered to addicts, HIV victims and women wanting abortions. Chloe asked the receptionist to arrange a taxi and rushed back up to Silas. He seemed asleep, his eyes were closed but he was murmuring under his breath. Beads of sweat formulated on his brow and he felt hot to the touch. She checked his wound again and flinched at the pure foulness of the wound.

"Silas, we need to go downstairs" she said, Silas opened his eyes and starred at her.

"What am I doing here?" he asked.

"I haven't got time for your questions right now, you're sick and I need to get you help" she said, cutting him loose again and pulling him to his feet. She attached his hands in front of him this time so he could sit comfortably in the taxi and led him back downstairs. The receptionist leered nervously at Silas who seemed to be in a world of his own and showed them outside where the taxi was waiting for them.

Chloe gave the driver the directions of the clinic; he starred curiously at Silas for a moment before pulling away and joining the rest of the traffic.

"Why do you care?" Silas asked as the driver pulled down numerous roads.

"I don't care about you, I care about getting my life back, the one you and your Patrons' friends ruined" she snapped.

Silas starred at her for a moment before turning his gaze to the window. Chloe growled quietly and asked herself the same question. Of course it was about saving his life so she could bribe Aringarosa into helping her, but she couldn't help recalling the guilt she felt at seeing him lie, tied to the bed in his feverish state.

The taxi turned down a road labelled '_rue du Faubourg_'.

"This is it" she said to the driver. She paid the man and helped Silas out of the cab and towards the door of a small building that looked no different to the barber shop next to it. She pushed open the door and pulled the monk in behind her. They stepped into a waiting room, several chairs were laid out, two of which were occupied by a young drug user who was rocking on her chair and an elderly black man who was asleep. A Chinese woman behind the counter smiled politely at the arrivals.

"How can I help you?"

Chloe pulled the monk with her towards the woman. She immediately noticed his arms tied in front of his body and looked shocked. Chloe pulled her badge out and flashed it at her, making her glad she decided to become a police officer so she had that privilege.

"I'm Officer Blanc, this is a witness to a case but he's injured, I need someone to take a look at him urgently" she said.

The receptionist flicked through her books, "Well it looks like Dr Peniz is free at the moment. Would you follow me?" she offered and led the pair down a small hallway and through a door into a room the size of Chloe's bathroom.

A man in a white coat got to his feet, cradling a mug of hot coffee. He was a tall man, though not as tall as Silas. His hair was curly and untamed and had a goatee in the same dark brown. He was skinny and there were dark bags under his eyes as if he worked quite long hours.

The Chinese receptionist muttered something to him that Chloe could not hear and he nodded respectfully, the lady smiled at Chloe and rushed off back to her post. Dr Peniz closed the door behind Chloe and Silas and pointed towards the bed.

"Can you help me get him on?" he asked. Chloe and Dr Peniz grabbed an arm each and pulled Silas over to the medical bed. He lay comfortably but still shaking with the infection.

"Wow, I bet you have a story to tell" the doctor smiled, clapping his hands together, but Chloe was not amused, she just wanted him to heal the monk.

"He's wearing a cilice and it's got infected" she explained and lifted the robe to the wound. Dr Peniz hissed as if he were experiencing Silas' pain, he gently began to prod the infected skin.

"Yeah, that is infected. You're lucky, if you'd left it any later he'd probably have to have the thing amputated" he said.

"But you can fix it?" Chloe asked.

"Well, I don't know" the doctor said, scratching his head, "It's been a long time since medical school and I really only deal with overdose victims and such now, so…" he said looking at Chloe expectedly.

Chloe starred at him. She would have smacked him had he not been important to her right now. She grabbed her purse from her bag and pulled out fifty euros and slapped it on the desk.

Dr Peniz clapped his hands together, "Well! Let's get this done!"

Chloe stood to the side as Dr Peniz did his work. She watched as he firstly removed the cilice. Congealed blood caked the spiked metal; Chloe took it from him and immediately threw it in the bin, glad to be seeing the last of it.

The next few hours were a haze of drips, injections and gauze. Silas remained still and stuck between consciousness and sleep. Sometimes he would say something audible and other times he would just mumble nonsense, but one of words he often repeated was _Séverin_, Chloe thought this might be the name of a loved one in his past and thought nothing of it, but soon he stopped talking all together as the antibiotics went to work.

"So can I ask who this guy is? Don't see many monks with metal spikes attached to their legs" Dr Peniz asked as he finished wrapping the last of the gauze and joined Chloe where she sat on his desk.

She continued to watch the monk as he slept peacefully, "He's an Opus Dei monk, they follow strict doctrine, and for some members that includes chastising"

"Merde!" the doctor exclaimed, crossing his arms over his chest. Chloe noted how more laid back he was to other doctors and how cheery he was, but then she figured it was probably a defensive mechanism to having to work in such a place full of hopelessness, all the time surrounded by addicts who went back to drug as soon as they left and dealing with people who had to life threatening sexually transmitted diseases. She almost admired his resilience against the depression that must fall on the place.

"What's Séverin?" Chloe asked. Dr Peniz scratched his head again and shrugged.

"No clue, could be a chick? But I thought monks were supposed to be celibate"

"Yeah" Chloe agreed, "Supposed to"

Another half an hour passed and Silas was beginning to come to. He blinked several times and tried to move but obviously found the task to arduous and settled for lifting his head.

"Where am I?" he demanded.

"Golden boy's awake" Dr Peniz said over his shoulder to Chloe who was dozing in a chair. She got to her feet and walked up to the bed, level with Silas's head.

"Don't you remember anything?" she asked.

Silas put a hand to his forehead and groaned, "I remember…" he faltered, "…gun"

Chloe smirked. _Good, he remembered last night_.

"You had an infection in your leg. I had to take you to get some help. But don't you dare think I won't give a second thought of shooting you in the head if you try anything" she said sharply, causing Silas to glare up at her.

"You kidnapped me" he growled and tried to move again, but he found his hands still tightly wound with duct tape, "Let me go, woman, or there will be consequences"

Dr Peniz got to his feet, "I didn't know you'd kidnapped anybody" he said.

"He's a witness. I'm holding him for his own protection" Chloe explained.

"I will not tell you anything" Silas growled.

"It's not you I need to get talking" Chloe mumbled and turned to the Doctor, "Is he safe to move?" she asked.

"Well the worst is over, but he still needs rest and lots of fluids, plus he'll need to keep off that leg for a while" he explained.

"Fine, I need to get him out of here now. Help me get him to the door" she ordered. Both doctor and police officer hauled the reluctant monk off of the bed and limped out of the office and back to reception. Chloe turned to the doctor and passed him ten euros.

"I don't have to stress that you're not to tell anyone what happened here" she said.

Dr Peniz nodded and saluted as he pocketed the cash, "No problemo, just remember to put fresh gauze on that wound every hour or so" he smiled.

Chloe hauled Silas with her out onto the streets and pulled her gun out of her pocket.

"I remember that" Silas muttered as he felt the muzzle press up against his side.

"Good, then I don't have to remind you not to try anything" she snapped and flagged down another taxi.

The brunette receptionist at the hotel smiled curiously at the pair as they re-entered the hotel, Silas limped painfully after Chloe as she headed from the lift and threw him on the bed as they got back to her room. Hurriedly she got the duct tape out and tied his wrist to the headboard. Silas glared at her.

"You need to get some sleep" she instructed, "I'm going to go and get a few things for your wound" she explained.

"You will pay for what you have done" he said.

"You mean saving your worthless life!" Chloe snapped, "Because that cost me a hundred euros and a hell of a lot of time" she added spitefully.

"I did not ask you to spare me. I would rather have died!" he spat back

"Well it was awfully tempting to just do that!" she shouted, but she felt her shoulders droop as she realised how tired and hungry she was. She rubbed her forehead with the palm of her hand and sighed. "Just get some sleep" she muttered and left the room making sure to lock it behind her.

_How could my life get so complicated in so short a time_, she thought miserably.

**-oOo-**

**Possessed-Gummy-Bear-Inferno - I'm out to get you with my well placed cliffs. Damn you for hanging on! lol, thanks for the glowing review, it makes me warm inside!**

**Strgazer - I thought I might make it easier for Chloe by making Silas ill when she grabs him, this way he doesn't put up much of a struggle. Thanks for the pep-review!**

**Laura - Hey, thanks for that! I do like these cheery upbeat reviews you give me! Rock on.**

**Rae-scars adorn me - I hope that's a good 'Oh my God' and not a bad one. But thanks for reviewing all the same mate, loving it.**

**phoenixrisingGhostLoveScore - Yeah, I got a bit sick of the whole 'Silas kidnapping OC's', this was a bit different and still manages to tie into the plot. Glad you like!**

**A/N : Thanks again reviewers, I'd only just put the next chapter up when I got all these reviews flooding in! Excellent. I was in such a roll during the last chappie that I just had to write this one. It also helps that I've been terribly bored lately and just needed something to keep me busy! Also, just a quick note, I know that Silas recovered just a little too quickly, but I wanted to get the story moving along. Hope you can forgive me!**


	15. Les Lilas

**Chapter Fourteen**

**Les Lilas**

**-oOo-**

The time away from the monk allowed Chloe to cool down and to get her thoughts straight. For some reason, whenever she was around Silas, her thoughts got muddled and she couldn't think out a plan properly. She put it down to stress and to the frustration he caused her, but something in the back of her mind was telling her it might be something more and complicated. However, her rational side told her to ignore it completely.

She had left Silas tied to the bed for at least thirty minutes. She had already bought what she could with the rest of her cash; gauze, TCP, painkillers and a few other first aid items. She was loathed to use the last of her money in case the Council were able to track her if she used her credit card, but she may have no choice in the future and she simply had to get Silas fit and well if she was going to use him as a bargaining chip.

After another fifteen minutes, Chloe headed back to the hotel and found Silas asleep on the bed, looking rather uncomfortable with his arms tied above his head. Quietly so not to wake him, she put the shopping bag down near the door and gingerly got to her knees by the monks feet. She carefully removed his worn sandals and carefully hitched up his robe to check on the wound. Chloe tensed and froze when the monk sighed in his sleep, but he fell still and silent once more allowing her to lift the hem a little higher until the gauze was visible. There was a little blood that had seeped through, but was now dried. She thought it would be better to change the gauze when the monk was conscious so returned the hem of his robe, got to her feet and walked over to where his head lay.

Chloe was surprised that he could look so innocent and pitiful when he was unconscious. It was a far cry from the terrible, hateful glare he kept giving her when he was awake. She noted as well that although he looked quite different then your average male because of his albinism, he really was quite handsome, if a little gaunt and drawn, probably due to his hard life and his even harder lifestyle. The man punished himself almost daily because of his sins and because of his need to be closer to God.

Chloe recalled some cases she had worked on, when killers reformed and turned to religion to repent and to be forgiven for their crimes. Maybe Silas truly regretted his actions, maybe he was trying to make it up. She recalled his angry words, 'I would rather have died'. Perhaps he was telling the truth, perhaps he believed he should die because of his crimes. Chloe frowned at this revelation. Maybe they really weren't different at all. Both of them had grown reckless and distant from everyone because of their past. And now here they both were, reluctantly thrown together.

"Rubbish" whispered Chloe as she tore her eyes away from the monks sleeping face. It was ridiculous to think that this whole thing was planned by a 'higher power', she controlled her own life and so did Silas. And they were not alike, she was tired and was seeing things in his face that she shouldn't. The last thing she should let herself do was feel for somebody else, especially considering that somebody else despised her more then anything.

She jumped as she saw Silas shudder and try to curl into a ball, but his restraints prevented that. Chloe figured he was cold, but was afraid to touch him, so she grabbed a spare blanket from the cupboard near the bathroom and draped it over his still form.

With one last glance, she turned on her heels and left the monk to himself, unaware that as she closed the door, one red eye was curiously starring after her.

**-oOo-**

Chloe had settled in the restaurant section of the hotel. It was small and shabby, but it was quiet. Chloe sat on her own at a small table by the dusty window with a cup of hot coffee and a salad sandwich. It felt good to have a full stomach and to have time to think about her next step.

She sipped her coffee and let her mind slip back to the man asleep in her hotel room and the moment she had with him as he lay still. She hadn't felt remotely close to another human being in so long that it both confused and frightened her, especially as he had tried to kill her and annoyed the hell out of her. She didn't see what the attraction could be, even if it was attraction, but she sure as hell was not going to let him think he had her around his little finger. If she had to, she would put a gun to his head and pull the trigger; after all, it was his patron that had sent those men to kill her and her boss.

Chloe sighed and took a bite of her sandwich. She had to get in touch with Aringarosa eventually and make her demands. She only hoped that her hunch about his love for Silas was right. But keeping Silas so close to the hospital and in the city was a big risk, so she decided that as soon as she patched the monk up, she would try to find a place further away where she could keep Silas.

Jerome snuck back into Chloe's thoughts, she hoped he was safe, she would risk calling him in the morning, but right now she needed space from him. She recalled the case file and how its contents taunted her. She remembered Silas' face as he saw the images of her beaten and broken, she hadn't seen much behind those ruby eyes, but she knew enough to figure out he was sickened. With her or with her past, she didn't know, but she was enthralled with that expression that maybe he could care for someone other then Aringarosa and his God.

Chloe finished her coffee and sandwich and made her way back to her room. As soon as she opened the door she could hear them monk's laboured breaths as he tried to wriggle out of his restraints. Chloe pulled her gun out of her waistband and rounded the corner, clicking the hammer back and watching the monk's startled face as he registered her in the room.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. You won't get far with your leg in that condition" she said quietly. Silas growled and lay still, reluctantly agreeing with her.

"You must let me go, woman. I need to be at the Bishops side" he hissed painfully.

"You need to shut the hell up" she snapped and tucked her gun back in her waistband once she was sure he didn't have the strength to escape. Chloe moved towards the end of the bed, "Now I need to change the bandages, so don't move" she instructed as she peeled back the robe up to his thigh and began to arduous task of unravelling the dirty gauze from his pale leg.

Silas remained remarkably quiet as she completed the task. Chloe risked one glance at him and found his chin raised and his eyes clothes as if he were trying to believe he were somewhere else. Chloe could appreciate that entirely, she didn't imagine when she woke up that morning that she would be tending to the medical needs of Silas.

"Done" she said, snapping the monk out of his thoughts. He looked at her for a second or two. Chloe looked away first and began throwing the dirty gauze into a plastic bag.

"I must use the bathroom" he croaked. Chloe glanced at him, afraid that he was going to ask that sooner or later. She didn't want to untie him in case he had gained enough strength to overpower her and escape, but she didn't have a choice. She wouldn't leave him there to soil himself.

"Fine, but don't try anything" she warned while pulling out her gun again as she cut at his restraints. She pointed the gun level with is forehead as he rubbed his sore wrists and sat up. He glared at in the corner of his eye as he gingerly and painfully got to his feet.

"It's insulting to have you point that thing at my head" he said.

"Wouldn't you do it in my position? You're a murderer, how can I trust you?" she asked, both standing on either side of the bed.

"I suppose if I were you, I wouldn't trust any man" he replied. Chloe raised the gun with a spurt of rage at what he was implying. She wasn't sure if he was being serious and sympathetic or jesting, it was hard to say with his expression being so blank.

"I suppose I don't then" she replied, "But that includes you" she added.

Silas suddenly looked disgusted, "I would never…" he hissed venomously, unable to finish his sentence. Chloe found herself believing him instantly. The look in his eyes told her he would never touch a woman that way. Chloe suddenly felt ashamed.

"Of course, your celibate" she said, lowing her gun a little as her arms grew tired, "Doesn't mean you won't kill me the second you see an opening" she added.

Silas growled and turned his back on her as he walked into the bathroom, tightening the lock behind him. Chloe sighed and suddenly felt overcome with grief. She wasn't sure why, but she sat down the bed and cradled her skull in her hands wishing that all this was over with and she could go home and sit in front of the TV with a bottle of wine, just like she did every night, alone and constantly afraid of the shadows.

Chloe felt tears well up, but she could force them back down, they spilled over her eyes and down her cheeks stubbornly. She furiously wiped them away as she heard the shower start. She starred at the door and figured it was probably a good thing the monk was taking a shower, he was beginning to smell and the wounds on his back could do with the clean water. While she waited, she put the blanket back in the cupboard and made the bed. She had no idea where she would sleep that night. The monk would have the bed; it was easier to tie him to it. She supposed she would grab some blankets and pillows and sleep on the floor. Gingerly she looked at the double bed. She could sleep on the other side, but she didn't know how she felt about being so close to the monk and how he would feel having her too close.

Chloe sat there on the bed until the monk came back out, his hair damp and his robe hanging off of him like a potato sack. Chloe made a mental note to go and buy him some clothes in the morning, but the sky was already dark and the streets were quieting. At least, she thought, she had brought herself some clothes; the ones she wore were now stained and needed a good wash.

"Back on the bed" she instructed, her hand going for her gun again, but Silas sat alongside her without question. Chloe blinked but didn't say anything.

"What will you do with me?" he asked quietly.

Chloe starred at her lap, fingering her gun, "We need to get out of the city and then I'll let Aringarosa know I have you hostage" she explained. There was no point in lying.

"Why?" he frowned. Chloe got to her feet and grabbed the duct tape.

"I told you. The Council have hired men to kill me; I needed you to bargain with the Bishop. I need him to point fingers at the other conspirators so I can finish this once and for all" she explained, "Hands" she instructed.

Silas shifted and held his wrists out in front of him. Chloe tied the tape around his wrists and for added measure tied his feet together so he could not run if he did manage to subdue her.

"My leg" Silas muttered, "It still hurts"

Chloe shifted through her bags and pulled out the painkillers, popping one into his mouth and holding a glass of water up to him so he could swallow it down. Chloe put the glass back as Silas stretched out flat on the bed, taking up one side of it.

"Are you hungry?" Chloe asked distantly, burrowing again through the bags and pulling out a banana. Silas nodded and took it gratefully, finishing it within two minutes.

"You should get some sleep" Chloe ordered, "We'll be heading out early in the morning and you need rest if you're leg is to heal properly" with that she leant against the wall at the foot of the bed and slid down it so she sat on the floor. Silas starred at her wearily.

"Are you not tired?" he asked suspiciously.

"I'm not going to sleep while you're awake" she said, removing her gun and laying it beside her. Silas flopped his head on the pillow and closed his eyes.

Chloe waited until she was sure he had drifted off and got her mobile out of her pocket. She had been meaning to call Jerome in the morning, but she needed to make sure he was okay. She dialled his mobile number into her own and listened to the dial tone. It cut into the messaging service which worried Chloe, she waited until the beep and sighed, "Jerome, it's me. I just wanted to make sure you're alright. I'm safe but give me a call as soon as you get this message. I love you, bye".

She threw her phone back into her bag when something caught her eye. The familiar folder carrying all the data on her rape case. Slowly, Chloe's fingers found the file and pulled it out. She had been meaning to look at the reports properly, but she couldn't bear to stare at the pictures of all those girls for too long. Hastily, Chloe first went to the bathroom, brushed her teeth and washed her face before returning to the bed and sitting alongside Silas who was fast asleep. She sat on the pillow with her knees up to her chin and the file on her lap. For the whole evening, she sat forcing herself to read every account, look and every picture in detail until it was burned into her brain. Her heart bled for the seven girls who had shared the same horrific ordeal as herself, she held back tears as she read her own statement and saw her own picture. But at some stage, she just slipped into unconsciousness next to the monk who had been awake the whole time, watching the fear and pain on her face as she relived the terrors of her past.

_Hot breath on her face, the pain in her chest. The glint of a blade, the crush of the man on top of her._

"_I'm going to have you bitch"_

_Chloe struggled with the hands that held her tightly, her fists slamming against a hard powerful chest. Her shouts and screams going unanswered under a strong hand. She felt herself falling, pain ripping through her body, her sight blurring through her tears, the fear and the anger clashing with one another._

"_No!" she screamed, she struggled and struggled, but she was weary and her screams were futile. No one was coming; she was going to relive the whole thing again._

"_No!" she yelled, but nothing, nothing stopped, no one came, and she was alone again._

"NO!" she screamed and her eyes flew open at last. She coughed and spluttered as if she had been held under water. Her eyes were wide with terror and watery with unshed tears. She looked to her right and saw Silas, sitting over her, his bound hands on her shoulder. She realised he had woken her. He looked down on her with mixed emotions on his face, but she could not bear for him to see her in such a fragile state.

"Get off me!" she shouted, jumping off the bed, accidentally spilling the papers from the file onto the floor and running for the bathroom. She slammed the door behind her and fell to the floor in a heap, sobbing her heart out and rocking on the spot, trying to force the images from her mind, but they refused to move.

"Oh God!" she wailed, gripping her head. "Why won't they go away?" she asked herself. Slowly her sobbing ceased and her calm returned, but she could not bear to face Silas. He had seen her at her weakest; he had recalled her from the depth of her own personal Hell. He knew more about her now then anyone had ever known, and it disturbed her that it was him that had seen it.

Gingerly, she got to her feet, her back aching from sitting so long on the cold hard tiled floor. She stepped up to the mirror and looked at her red, blood shot eyes and her streaky face and messy hair. Chloe splashed water onto her face, rubbing away the streaks of tears then she flattened her hair with the palms of her hands. She checked the cabinet in the bathroom and found what she was looking for. The complimentary men's razor. She grabbed it and held it over her wrist, digging deep into the flesh until all the pain inside of her faded and was disguised with that on her wrist.

Once the wounds were washed and the razor returned, Chloe wrapped toilet paper around her wrist and pulled her shirt sleeve down over the cuts. She checked herself in the mirror once more time before opening the bathroom door. Already light was beginning to seep through the window, Chloe knew she had to move if she was going to get Silas to a safer location before the Council sent more goons after her.

To her relief she found Silas sleeping on the bed. She gathered together the papers that had fallen out of the file and stored it back in her bag. She seized some fresh clothes and returned to the bathroom to have a hot shower and wash her stringy hair. It felt good to wash away the nightmares but her thoughts lingered on the touch of Silas and his hands resting on her shoulder. She shook her head, convincing herself that he only did it because she was keeping him awake with her shouting. He didn't care and she didn't want him to. At least the rational side of her didn't.

Chloe changed into a fresh pair of jeans and a white jumper. She threw her old clothes in the bin and returned to the bed. Silas was stirring, but she turned her back to him, not wanting to discuss the previous night with him. Apparently neither did he, for the first thing he said was whether she could pass him some food. She tossed him cereal bar and an apple as she rustled through the bags, figuring what she could leave behind to make the journey easier.

Chloe threw the rubbish in the bin and turned to Silas, "I need to get you some proper clothes. What size are you?" she asked.

Silas looked at her, "I will not don anything except my robes of God" he replied sternly. Chloe pulled her gun out of her bag and pointed it at Silas. He flinched, but she just glared at him.

"You will if you want to get out of this thing alive" she snapped.

"You wouldn't kill me. You need me" he replied.

"Alive yes, but not necessarily in one piece" she hissed angrily, shaking her gun at him, "Fine, I'll guess your size. Stay there" she ordered and grabbing her purse took the lift down the lobby and entered the hotels own small shopping complex. She grabbed a pair of men's jeans and a dark jumper as well as a belt just in case the jeans were slightly too big. The trainers were the hardest thing to buy as she was less sure of what shoe size he was then clothes size, but she settled for a size nine and took her purchases back up to the front desk. Another woman stood in the place of the brunette Chloe had spoken to the previous day and ordered another taxi, she checked her watch on the way to the lift and found an hour had now passed since she left Silas in their room.

He sat on the edge of the bed, his feet and wrists still bound with his head resting between his knees in prayer. Chloe dropped her bag on the ground with a clatter which caused the monk to snap his head up and glare at her angrily. She cut off his bonds and pointed the gun at him whilst handing him the bag of clothes.

"Go into the bathroom and get changed," she ordered.

Silas looked into the bag, glared at her and marched off into the room, locking the door behind him. Chloe made sure she had everything they would need when Silas stepped cautiously out of the bathroom. Chloe did a double take, not used to seeing Silas in anything other then his robe or prison jumpsuit. The jeans were perhaps a little too baggy but the belt did its job, the jumper was well fitted and sat comfortable on his broad shoulders. Chloe instructed him to put the robe in the plastic bag. He starred at her, almost silently begging her not leave it behind.

"You can have this back once this is over" she promised. Silas seemed satisfied with this answer and allowed her to take the robe from him. After securing his hands behind his back, Chloe led Silas to the lift, her hand gripping his fore arm tightly. To any other person, she would probably look like a possessive girlfriend, but she didn't care, she could not risk Silas escaping, he was the only card she had left to play.

Chloe grabbed a map from the front desk; she needed to find a safe place to meet Aringarosa. She needed to be out of the city, somewhere quieter and less congested. Chloe had hardly ever left the centre of Paris, except perhaps for holidays, but she hardly took time off of work to go away and relax, it wasn't what she did.

Chloe gripped Silas' arm as she shook open the map and let her eyes scan over the map. All manner of names popped out at her, Bagnolet, Nanterre, Clichy. But she didn't know whether they were safe towns. Desperate she looked about and saw the brunette receptionist shifting through some papers at the desk. She dragged a reluctant Silas over to her and tried to give a convincing smile.

"Hi, we're going on a day trip" she began, "I don't suppose you know of anywhere just out of the city which is nice and quiet. We've just had enough of the city" she smiled.

The brunette leaned over the map Chloe had handed to her and jabbed her finger at Les Lilas.

"Oh! I went here with my husband for our honeymoon, I haven't been there in winter but it's beautiful in spring" she chirped.

Chloe grabbed the map and studied the route. It would take hours to get there by car, but it appeared a train would be able to take them straight from the city to Les Lilas with no detours or connections. Simple.

"That's sounds good" she replied, "Is our taxi here yet?" she asked. The Receptionist hurried off to talk to a colleague.

"Are you making this up as you go along?" Silas asked, breaking out of his silence. Chloe sighed; refusing to answer in case she told the truth and made herself fell even less confident. She was relieved when the receptionist returned.

"He's waiting right outside" she confirmed.

"Alright, we'll we're checking out today. Can I have the bill?"

Chloe put the tab on her credit card and hurried Silas out of the building to the black cab waiting outside. The driver was a portly man who leant on the car door swinging his keys on his index finger. He saw Chloe and Silas heading towards him and pushed himself away from the door to stand in a more sophisticated stance. He took Chloe's bags from her and stored them into the boot. Chloe took no time to wait for him to open the door for them and went about getting Silas into the car, being careful not to knock his leg. He put his seatbelt on without any fuss as Chloe walked around the other side of the car and scurried in just before the driver returned to his own seat.

Chloe gave him directions to the train station and leaned back in her seat, her stomach a mass of nervous knots. She was cranky, tired and scared and she hated it. She had gotten used to checking over her shoulder since the incident, but now it was more then that. She looked over at Silas; he head was resting on the window and he his were drooping. He looked tired and worn, obviously still affected by the painkillers.

The driver was annoyingly chatty, he assumed that Silas and Chloe were a married couple, Chloe didn't correct him although wise she would have to explain the whole complicated situation and she really didn't have the energy. She allowed him to run off about married life and how his own was pure bliss, Chloe had tuned off when he reached what he did for his silver anniversary. Her mind went back to the previous night, waking up to see Silas starring down at her, his warm hands on her shoulder, that strange and uncomfortable look in his eyes. She glanced over at him, he was dozing and looked as far away from murderous as you could get. He looked almost angelic and innocent.

Chloe almost jumped as the car came to a halt and the driver held out his hand for the fee. Chloe dug around in her bag and found her emergency stash to pay the man. She looked over at Silas, feeling oddly sick at having to wake him, but she put a gentle hand of his shoulder.

"Silas" she said quietly, wondering why she wasn't just shouting down his ear hole and dragging him out of the car by his arm. The monk stirred and his red eyes slowly opened. He looked out of the window first, realising they stopped and looked curiously over at Chloe. He unfolded his arms awkwardly.

"Come on" Chloe instructed, though with less of a tone in her voice and stood on the pavement waiting for Silas to shuffle out of the car and join her. The driver hauled her bags out of the boot and handed them to her with a lift of his cap and a smile.

Chloe grabbed Silas by the sleeve and walked alongside him to the ticket counter. It seemed their train was just about to leave, so they both jogged to their platform, Silas more limping then anything, and jumped aboard just as the doors were closing.

The train was relatively empty and the pair were able to find a compartment all to themselves. Silas slumped onto the chair opposite Chloe and struggled to rub his pained thigh with his tied hands.

"Please, these are not needed" he said, lifted his bound hands up. He looked at her pleadingly. Chloe was reluctant.

"I can't trust that you won't hurt me" she replied, voicing her first concern.

"You have your gun," he said, nodding towards her bag. Chloe bit her lip, reluctant to give the monk any kind of advantage. She may have the gun, but he was far stronger and bigger then her and could over power her if he reached her before she got to her gun. But she saw the fatigue in his face, the drained and reluctant expression mirrored her own and she knew he just wanted this to end and the only way that could happen was if he just went along with Chloe and didn't make things difficult.

"Fine" she muttered, fetching a penknife out of her pocket and severing the tape. Silas nodded and rubbed his wrists.

"How's your leg?" she asked. Silas looked at her suspiciously, but then slowly lifted his trouser up, but could not reach past his knee. He looked at Chloe but she shrugged.

"We'll have a look later" she replied, not sure if she wanted him to drop his jeans right there in front of her, of course he wouldn't want that either. Chloe averted her glance and looked out of the window, watching the scenery of the city rush by. She finally felt a little calmer as they left the busy city behind, but she was still sitting before a murderer.

"What were you dreaming about last night?" Silas asked, his voice cutting through the silence. Chloe started and starred at him, his own pink eyes piercing her own. She gaped, unsure of what to say. She was surprised of his outright question, but then he had been prying before when he saw the scars on her arm. It's just that since then, he had kept himself to himself and his hatred for Chloe prevented him from being interested in his captor. But then a thought occurred to her.

"It was about you" she said sharply, "I don't fear you"

Silas frowned, "Would it surprise you if I said I did not want you to fear me. But just to let me go?" he replied.

Chloe frowned as well, confused by his answer. She had expected anything but that, most of the criminal she had encountered got off on causing others to fear them. Silas however hated her, but he didn't want her to fear him. How did that make sense?

"You know I can't do that until Aringarosa helps me" she replied, playing with the hem of her jacket.

Silas was silent for a moment, but there was something in his tired face that told her he wanted to say something. She sat quietly, hoping to coax it out of him when he finally opened his mouth.

"The Bishop. He is not a bad man," he said.

Chloe starred.

Silas continued, "He is afraid for me. He is the only man to have shown me any kindness and I know he would not cause you trouble unless he had a good reason"

"Trouble? You call sending assassins to kill me, trouble?" Chloe asked.

"He would never have done that, Bishop Aringarosa is the least violent man I know"

"Compared to you, I supposed" Chloe retorted, raising an eyebrow.

"I wholly regret my actions, I pay for them each day I breathe" Silas muttered, his eyes glazing over as if looking back into a memory, "The Teacher was good with words, he convinced me my actions would bring about strengthening the Church and fulfilling my duty to God. Instead I did the work of the Devil," he said glumly.

Chloe didn't want to get into another debate about religion and God, but she was curious to why the monk still stood up for Aringarosa.

"If Aringarosa didn't send those men to kill me, who did?" she asked.

Silas starred at her a deep frown laced on his forehead, "I can think of no one, but…" he faltered. Chloe leaned forward and urged him on.

"Go on" she pressed.

"Aringarosa was often sedated in the evenings, he sometimes talked in his sleep, one evening I returned from prayer and saw a man exit the Bishop's room. He was dressed as a Bishop, but I had not seen him before"

"So you don't know who he could be?" Chloe asked. Silas shook his head.

"He must have been a real Bishop, although wise the guards wouldn't have let him into the room" Chloe mused, glad to be that little bit closer to identifying her enemy. It seemed that perhaps Silas and Aringarosa were innocent, merely pawns, but she knew the Bishop was in deep with the Council. He had to be; she just needed to know what he valued more, the Council or his monk.

**-oOo-**

**Possessed-Gummy-Bear-Inferno - Lol, yeah I was kinda enjoying the mental picture of Silas taped to a bed. Yummy! Ah well back to reality!**

**Laura - You know what, I didn't actually realised what the name Peniz looked like until you mentioned it!**

**Mish - Thanks for the comp, I thought people might get all touchy on the subject of him getting over his illness too fast but I'm glad I've made it as realistic as possible.**

**phoenixrisingGhostLoveScore - Aww, your comments always make me blush, everyone is completely enthralled with Silas being tied to the bed! Though I can't say I blame y'all!**

**A/N : Just a quick Christmas message. I hope you all had a wonderful day full of love, family and lots of food and presents! MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR!**


	16. A Woman Scorned

**Chapter Fifteen**

**A Woman Scorned**

**-oOo-**

The train journey grew instantly uncomfortable after their brief conversation. She didn't know what to say that wouldn't offend him or give him ammo to tease her later on. Instead her eyes often drifted dozingly to the window at the passing buildings until finally they burst out into clear open fields.

Chloe recalled childhood memories of visiting farms on school trips, she enjoyed feeding the horses and the goats, and she had wanted to be a farmer when she grew up. Of course that plan didn't work out; Jerome had convinced her that a farmer didn't earn a lot of money. That didn't matter at first to Chloe, she just wanted to be around animals and have the fresh air, but as she grew older and had to learn to support herself more and more, it wasn't about working for fun, it was working to survive. But it wasn't as if she hated her job, she had always been interested in psychology, and her interest in the force grew as she spent time with Jerome looking over his shoulder as he worked on his cases. She remembered sitting beside him in his office under the light of the one desk lamp. She recalled the creases in her godfather's brow and the pen he tapped irritably against his teeth. She figured she had just been thrust into the job just as she had been thrust into this case, she never really chose anything in her life she only went down the realistic path, the one in which she was expected to go.

Chloe leaned her head against the window of the train, in the corner of her eye she could just see Silas starring at her, seemingly lost in his own thoughts. She wondered what he was thinking about. Did he even think like her? Or maybe he was trying to calculate an escape route. She was surprised that he had not tried to attack her yet, he was quite able to, even if she did have the gun to hand. He was strong and almost twice her size, so why did he wait? Perhaps he was bidding his time, waiting for the perfect moment.

But then maybe he wasn't. Maybe he wanted to find out who the Council were as well. It must have been frustrating doing the bidding for someone you have never met or spoken to. Maybe his own curiosity kept him with her.

But she was still no closer to identifying the Council's leader then when she had started. She would have to call Aringarosa as soon as they arrived at Les Lilas to make her demands. Of course a nagging voice was warning her that she was risking a lot by trusting the Bishop would help her in exchange for getting his monk back. But she had to trust that there was some goodness in that man, even if he did use her. Perhaps in the quiet of the train's carriage, she could worm more information out of the monk, she checked her watch and saw that they had another thirty minutes to go.

"Does the name Horus mean anything to you, Silas?" she asked.

The monk's eyes snapped from the floor to her own eyes. They were bleary from fatigue and his body was hunched over, "I don't know that name?" he replied.

For some reason, Chloe believed him, "Do you think he might have come into contact with Aringarosa. Did your patron meet a lot with other Bishops?"

"Everyday" he replied, "but he never shared with me the details and I never enquired" he added, ending the conversation. Chloe rubbed her forehead, she wanted nothing more then to curl up with a book and a glass of wine, but that seemed miles away now. And something was still bothering her.

"Why do you believe the Bishop wouldn't go to such lengths to protect Opus Dei?"

Silas sat up straight, "Because I know he is a good man, he is incapable of hurting anyone"

"Even if the future of Opus Dei was in danger?" she asked, raising an eyebrow as Silas frowned.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"I'm not surprised Aringarosa didn't tell you" she replied

"Tell me what?" the anger rose in the monks voice as he gripped the edges of his seat.

"In the report Capitaine Fache gave to me, Aringarosa attended a meeting with Vatican officials almost two weeks ago. Teabing gave only one statement before his murder which made the Bishop one of our top suspects"

"I cannot believe anything you could say would shake my loyalty from the Bishop" Silas mumbled stubbornly.

"Well it might" she said, leaning forward so the monk could hear every word she was about to say, "The Pope was going to withdraw his support of Opus Dei in six months" she explained. She watched as Silas' features turned even paler and his eyes widened.

"Impossible" he murmured.

"Not at all. With that in his favour, Teabing contacted Aringarosa after the meeting to make a deal to help protect the future of Opus Dei in exchange for your services and, of course, for a hell of a lot of money. Teabing wins either way, he gets the money and the chance to find the Holy Grail, meanwhile Aringarosa keeps Opus Dei in the Pope's favour by using the Grail as leverage" she added.

"Why would he not of told me any of this?" he asked feebly.

"Would _you_ have? If he'd told you that the denomination he stood for and groomed you for was in danger, would you have trusted him? Could you have followed his every command if in six months Opus Dei would no longer carry the support of the most Holiest man in the world?" she asked.

"I-I don't…" he faltered, lost in thought.

"So you see, Aringarosa had everything to lose by standing aside as the reputation of Opus Dei was destroyed. You've been with him for a long time, Silas; surely you know that he would do anything for the things he loves" she explained. Silas looked at her.

"He thought I was dead, why did you allow him to believe that?" he asked, his voice etched with pain.

"Fache told him. I didn't even know about any of this till a week ago" she replied defensively, "I can only guess Fache thought that if the Bishop believed he had nothing to lose, he would help him locate the Council members" she shrugged.

"How many times must I tell you that there is no Council, at least none that my patron would connect himself to" he grumbled.

"And would he tell you if he did? Just like he didn't tell you about the meeting with Vatican officials?" she asked, knowing she well and truly had him stumped.

Silas starred at his hands in his lap, "I just cannot believe he would knowingly be a part of something so evil"

Chloe kept quiet as Silas tried to come with terms with what she had just told him. She had expected him to stubbornly refuse to accept the truth, but for some reason he was willing to take her word more seriously then he probably would on their first meeting. It surprised her but also confused her as well.

Luckily for both of them, Chloe's mobile began to ring. She held it to her ear and could hear herself sigh with relief when she recognised her godfather's voice.

"Oh thank God, Jerome! I was beginning to get worried" she said, painfully aware that Silas was watching her intently. She felt oddly guilty as well for not giving her godfather much thought since that morning, but she knew, deep down he could look out for himself.

"_I'm sorry, petit poisson, I'm afraid it's bedlam here at the office. There's an internal investigation into Fache's involvement in the Opus Dei case. They've turned his office inside out, I don't know if they've found him yet_"

"Well they'll have no luck finding him at home. The Council's hired thugs tore that place apart like mine, but he's safe. They don't know about me yet do they?" she said, biting her lip.

"_Non, they've been checking into everyone here, but I convinced them you were on holiday for a while. You are safe aren't you, Chloe?_" he asked.

"Of course, I'm leaving the city for a while, but it should all be over soon, Jerome"

"_Good, just stay safe_" he said, his concern made Chloe smile, she noted a hint of something flash behind Silas' eyes. She wasn't convinced it was either anger or frustration, but it was definitely something.

"Alright, I'd better go, but just look after yourself and if it's safe, call me" she instructed.

"_Of course, take care, Chloe_" and he hung up. Chloe sadly put the phone back in her bag, the train's brakes jolting her back to reality. It looked like their stop had come.

"A friend?" Silas asked. Chloe starred at him, aware of that suspicious glint in his eye again.

"Yes" she replied, not willing to go into detail about Jerome, it could place him in danger, despite Silas's unusual co-operation.

"Is he a police-officer?" he asked. Chloe frowned, unsure of where this was going. She didn't know why he cared.

"Yes" she replied again, looking out of the window.

"Do you love him? Is that why you fear for him so much?" he asked, almost uncomfortably. Chloe frowned inwardly, curious to see where this went.

"Of course" she replied honestly. Silas seemed to slouch more.

"It's hard to be away from the ones you love, especially when you know them to be in danger" he replied, rubbing his palms together nervously.

"I know" she replied, feeling the train slowing down, "he's all I've got"

"I know that feeling, but it is different to be in love with someone rather then love them as family" he replied. Chloe did frown at this.

"Excuse me?" she asked.

"Your lover? The police officer?" he answered, frowning as Chloe chuckled when she realised he thought Jerome was her boyfriend.

"The man on the phone is my godfather" she said and was surprised to see something like relief in the monk's eyes. Ignoring the gesture, she got to her feet and grabbed her bag as the train stopped. She waved her hand to get him to do the same.

"Hands in front" she instructed. Silas glared at her, but complied. Chloe pulled the tape out of her bag and wound it discreetly around his wrists. Together, with Silas leading, they both left the train and into the delightfully quiet train station. Chloe asked an attendant as to where the nearest motel was; luckily it was only ten minutes by foot as all of Chloe's cash had been spent back in Paris. She hurried alongside the monk, her fist wrapped around his sleeve; Silas didn't even bother to recoil from her grip as he breezed alongside her with his long strides.

Both were left panting when they reached the motel. It was pleasant looking from the outside. There was a garden, which you had to walk across to get to the reception, the grass was thick and rich green, rose bushes lined the pavement and there was a cherub fountain on either side on the path. The building itself was a long stretch of concrete painted a fair yellow. Each door was painted white with a different species of flower carved into the wood just below the room number. Chloe entered the reception followed by the monk and saw a singular woman leaning across a fancy mahogany desk surrounded by vases of flowers and candles. Chloe smiled as the woman saw them and ran a hand through her thick bushy hair.

"And how can I help you, dear?" she chirped.

"We're looking for a room, we don't know how long we'll be staying yet so we might need to reserve it for a week at the most" Chloe smiled.

"Okay" the woman said, turning her attention to the computer screen in front of her and began furiously typing away at the keyboard, "Well you're in luck, we only have one room left" she looked between Chloe and Silas, "I'm afraid it only has two single beds, but I'm sure you could push the two tog-"

"That sounds fine" Chloe interrupted, feeling Silas fidget uneasily beside her.

Chloe gave her name and credit card before taking the key and leading Silas out of the building to their motel room.

"Why did you let her believe we're together?" Silas asked as Chloe dragged him along behind her. Chloe refused to look at him, instead her eyes roved over the numbers on the doors.

"It's less complicated. No questions. I'm sorry to smudge your celibate reputation," she added sarcastically stopping outside the room numbered 'eleven'. Chloe pushed the door open and found themselves in a bright, airy room that was only big enough to fit the two single beds with a bedside table each, a small sofa pushed up against the wall and a chest of drawers which had a small television perched on top. Another door led into the modest bathroom complete with a tub and showerhead, a toilet and sink with an overhead cabinet. The motel owned it's own convenience store and eating area so no kitchen was required within each room.

Silas perched himself on the end of one of the beds. Chloe threw her things on the other one and felt her stomach rumbling terribly. She realised she hadn't eaten for most of the day and she noticed how pale Silas looked too.

"I'm going to get us something to eat, any preferences?" she asked, shifting through her things and pulling out her purse and her handgun. Silas eyed it and shook his head, "I'll be back in a few minutes, don't try anything" she warned and left the room making sure to lock it behind her.

Chloe found the small cafeteria and brought them both sandwiches, a cup of coffee and a piece of fruit. Nervously she unlocked the motel door and slowly opened it, her hand on her gun. Silas had moved from the end of the bed and was now sitting facing the television. He was watching the weather report and was rapt, not even noticing Chloe enter the room. She quietly closed the door behind her and dropped the bag on the bed. Silas looked peaceful and content as he consumed himself with the television, Chloe was starting to get used to these rapid changes Silas' mood seemed to experience, one minute he could deadly and intimidating and then the next he could look as innocent as a child

Silas seemed to sense her there and turned to face her.

"Getting comfortable?" she asked and threw him a sandwich still in its wrapping. He reached out and caught it with his bound hands. Chloe grabbed her penknife from her bag and ripped through the tape as she began to unwrap her own cheese sandwich.

They both sat there on their beds eating in silence, the quiet was ringing in Chloe's ears, but what was she supposed to say to the man she had kidnapped off the streets, the man who knew her most intimate secret and the man who gave her strange and confusing feelings every time he grew closer.

"I must shower" Silas said as he finished his sandwich.

Chloe nodded and watched as he walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. She needed a shower too, the whole day on the train made her feel in need of a bit of refreshment. As she threw her rubbish in the bin, Chloe spotted her phone resting beside her. She checked the bathroom door and heard the water start.

Snatching the phone up Chloe dialled the directory service, which put her through to the Hopitaux de Paris. Chloe was greeted by the chirping voice of one of the receptionist who was more then happy to put her through to the Bishop's room.

"_Bishop Manual Aringarosa_" came a graveling reply.

"Bishop" Chloe began, her nerves a jumble since this was her first ransom demand, "I think I have something that belongs to you," she said, forcing herself to sound confident and mocking.

"_Who is this?_" the voice demanded.

"Someone who's had to resort to extreme measures to get your attention"

"_What? B…I don't…_" he stammered, "_Oh! I know who you are! That policewoman. How dare you threaten me!_" he roared down the phone.

"I dare because my life is in shambles since I took this case and if you had co-operated with me in the first place, I wouldn't be holding a gun to your precious Silas' head!" she barked back. She was met with a wall of silence and then the Bishops voice became instantly softer.

"_Silas. You kidnapped a monk? Have you no shame?!_"

"He's a murderer, don't think I wouldn't think twice about putting a bullet between his eyes" she replied, thought distantly aware that she probably would have to make that decision sooner or later.

"_But you're a police officer!_" the Bishop spluttered, "_You are forbidden to kill an unarmed man_"

"Have you not been listening to me, Bishop? Or have your goons not told you how they tore my place apart, how they tried to run me off the road and forced my Capitaine to go into hiding? I'm being hunted and you think I give a damn about ethics?" she hissed.

"_Goons? What are you talking about?_" Aringarosa asked desperately.

"I'm not a complete idiot, Bishop. The Council sent them after me and whether or not it was under your orders or someone else's, you hold the key to shutting them down. Now it's up to you to decide which is more important. Silas or your Council"

There was another pregnant pause. Chloe felt her heart race as she prayed he would choose Silas, she didn't want to kill him, despite how desperate she was. Killing was never a solution, in all her years in the DCPJ she had never pulled her gun on anyone, and she didn't intend to start now.

"_Why would you do this? To my Silas?_" Bishop Aringarosa asked sadly.

"Hell hath no fury, Aringarosa. You used me and now I'm going to return the favour" she snapped, suddenly aware that Silas had now turned off the shower in the bathroom, "I'll contact you again in twenty-four hours, you'd better have made your decision" and with that she hung up.

**-oOo-**

**QueenieMeanie - Hey thanks, one of my other reviewers said exactly the same thing. I wanted this story to be original so did the reverse! Glad it's being received very well by you all!**

**fabala4077 - It's actually incredibly difficult to develop it without making it seem too unrealistic. Chloe is intolerate of religion whereas Silas is sensitive and very protective of God and Bishop Aringarosa. But as we move along, both seemingly find those pet hates dimming which will eventually bring them together...or will it?**

**Mish - I thought that too about Les Lilas, I just wanted to see who else would notice, so ta-da! it was only you! Well done. I had an excellent Christmas, thank you, lots of food and with my family all together, it was wonderful. I hope you had a good one too.**

**Bodo - I can only assume that your mouth waters every time you watch Paul Bettany as Silas. He is rather yummy and plays Silas to a tee!**

**Bob - Thanks for your reviews for both this fic and 'Because of Changes', very inspirational! Yes I have always wanted to be a writer, I started writing seriously when I was in Year 3! Which would have made me 7ish for those who aren't accustomed to the English grading system. The only problem with fan fics is that you have to work with characters that already exist, you can't always add things to them and their lives are normally all mapped out, that's why I'm working on my own novel coz it'll be all my own invention! Keep reading and reviewing!**

**phoenixrisingGhostLoveScore - well if you liked the last chappie you'll like this one. Obviously the expression on Silas' face when Chloe took that call from Jerome was jelousy. Our little monk is growing fond of his captor, maybe stockholm syndrome? or maybe not, stay tuned!**

**A/N : Hey peeps, this is my first chapter of 2007! Yippee. Happy New Year to you all. With my love.**


	17. Desire

**Chapter Sixteen**

**Desire**

**-oOo-**

Chloe tucked her phone into her pocket just as Silas exited the bathroom, rubbing his hair furiously with a towel to dry it. He was still wearing the clothes she had brought him that morning, but he looked refreshed and oddly normal. Chloe found herself starring and snapped herself out of it before the monk turned to her and asked for more food. She handed him a banana and as he reached out to take it, their fingers touched and grazed one another as she pulled away. Chloe felt something electric shot up her spine, almost causing her to jump away, but she held herself and bashfully glanced at the floor. Silas sat down on the bed hardly aware of how uncomfortable Chloe felt and turned his attention back on the television which was now showing a popular Australian soap.

Feeling suddenly dirty, Chloe grabbed her gun and made sure the door was locked before stepping into the misty bathroom herself. The mirror was fogged up so she wiped it clean with her palm, shocked to see the reflection starring back at her.

The face she saw was older and her skin paler, it was the face of someone who had been through hell and still had a long way to go. Her eyes were misty and dark and her mouth was in a straight masked line.

Gingerly she felt the side of her face and felt the muscles relax under her touch, the mask of hardness began to melt and there, under her hand she could see the real her, the Chloe that had disappeared over six months ago.

Cautiously she ran a hand down her arm and pulled up her sleeve. The tissue paper was stuck to her arm by dried blood which Chloe peeled away. The wounds were an angry shade of red and blood still seeped out of some of the cuts. Quickly, Chloe jumped into the shower and massaged her wounds under the pumping warm water, ignoring the sensational stinging and overpowering sleepiness the steam was inducing. Quickly she lost herself in the warmth until reality hit her like a brick in the back of the head.

Silas was outside by himself, he could have escaped and she wouldn't have known. Fumbling, she turned the shower off, grabbed and towel and wrapped it around herself before ploughing out of the bathroom, soaking wet.

Silas was laying on his back his hands clasped together resting on his stomach and his head propped up on a pillow. A news broadcast was showing at low volume beside him and he seemed to have begun to doze off. However the unexpected outburst made his eyes almost pop out of his skull.

Chloe bashfully pulled her sopping hair out of her eyes as Silas starred at her.

"I thought you…" she faltered, unsure of what she had thought. Silas blinked but continued to stare, "Never mind…"

Chloe went back to her bed and pulled out of her bag some clothes. In the corner of her eyes she saw Silas shift on himself and within an instant she could see what had brought on the sudden flush on his face. Under his jeans there was an unmissable bulge that he was trying to hide from view.

Chloe bit her lip and walked back into the bathroom, pretending she hadn't seen anything. After she closed the door she found herself smiling to herself and feeling like a little school girl. Forcing her smile away she began the task of changing into the clean clothes, but she could not shake the embarrassed look from Silas' face and the obvious display of sexual desire his body had betrayed to her.

Did he really think of her that way? It both surprised and intrigued Chloe. He was supposed to be celibate, he didn't think of women like that, or did he? But what surprised her more was that she was not in the least bit afraid of sickened knowing he could think of her that way. Normally she shied away from men who could potential be more then friends. She hated it when men looked at her, yet when Silas did, she didn't feel sick or frightened. Frustration rose in her as she tugged on a pair of black jeans. She didn't want to feel that way about anyone, least of all a murdering monk.

Chloe lifted her hand to her forehead and sighed, completely confused. She was surprised that Silas had allowed such a physical show of sexual tension show. He had always been so tense and in control before, back when…

Chloe's eyes snapped open. The cilice.

It must have been the pain it inflicted which kept his thoughts 'pure'. Chloe suddenly understood why it was so important to him. It kept him in control and strengthened his faith. Having sexual desires probably made him feel unfaithful to his God. Chloe remembered reading something in her research about Opus Dei members and even though they followed strict doctrine, a lot of them married or reproduced with their faith still intact. A part of Chloe felt sorry for Silas. Perhaps his desires had made him feel like a failure.

Chloe put away the towels and gathered her dirty clothes, gun and keys before leaving the bathroom. Silas was in the process of crossing himself, evidently just finishing his praying and avoiding Chloe's eye, settled back on the bed.

After throwing her clothes on the floor, Chloe mirrored Silas' laid back posture on her own bed, revelling in the silence that followed, the television now being turned off.

"What made you join Opus Dei, Silas?" Chloe asked suddenly, surprised by her own surliness. The monk turned his head away from the ceiling to look at her, but promptly turned it back again.

"Bishop Aringarosa showed me the way to best serve Him. I am forever in his debt for bringing me closer to the Devine" he replied in his husky voice.

"I researched about Opus Dei, the Numeraries are the most devote and extreme followers of Opus Dei, you follow mortification, sacrifice and…celibacy" she noted, "How could you live like that?" she asked sincerely.

"It's not the desires of the body that matter most, it is His desires that we must adhere too" he replied.

"Well did you know that the Supernumeraries of Opus Dei live normal lives just like everyone else? They go to work, get married and have kids. Their faith isn't judged on how much they hurt themselves or whether they have sexual relations, it's only human nature" she explained. Silas glanced at her again.

"It is blasphemous to live such a life as an Opus Dei follower" he muttered.

Chloe sat up and swung her legs off the bed to get to her feet, she looked back at Silas, "Well considering 70 of Opus Dei members live that way, surely it's not _that_ wrong" she mused, "I'm going out for a few minutes. I don't have to tell you to stay put" she said, raising an eyebrow as she tucked her gun into her waistband and left the room, carefully locking it behind her.

Chloe returned to the cafeteria to gather more food and drink for herself and Silas. She didn't want to leave the monk on his own more then she had to, she was pushing it by coming out to get food even though he had had enough time when she was in the shower to formulate a plan. She frowned, wondering why he hadn't tried to escape, he had the perfect opportunity, and she wouldn't have been aware that anything had happened until after she got out of the bathroom and found him gone.

"You should try those croissants, they're still warm" came a male voice from beside Chloe. She immediately felt her insides go cold and averted her eyes from the tall man standing next to her. She saw her knuckles turning white as she gripped the tray of food.

_What the Hell?_ She thought, _I'm still freaking out even though I've just spent the last few days holed up with a man._

"Are you alright?" the man asked, obviously noticing Chloe tense up. Chloe nodded and moved towards the register where a large chirpy woman took her money. As soon as she was given her change, Chloe turned and stalked away as quickly as she could, aware of the friendly man starring after her.

"Merde" Chloe hissed under her breath. Was this always how it was going to be? She was going to freak out every time a man got too near? But it didn't make sense that she didn't feel that way around Silas. How could that be? Tears began to prick in the back of her eyes. That rapist bastard had ruined her life more then she could have thought.

The sky outside was dark and dull, a chill was in the air which made Chloe jog back to the motel room with the back swinging furiously in her hand and her gun poking her painfully in her back. She dug around for the keys in her pocket and unlocked the motel door. Silas was resting still on the bed, his chest rising and falling in a state of deep sleep, the television was still on and the bright colours were blinding in the dark room. Chloe quietly dropped the bag of food beside her bed and moved slowly around Silas to switch off the television. The monk grunted something, but settled back down into silence.

Chloe couldn't well leave him to sleep uncuffed while she lay unconscious nearby, he would certainly take advantage and escape, but she was loathed to wake him as well. So instead she sat on her bed, determined to stay awake herself until the monk awoke or morning came, besides, she didn't feel all that sleepy anymore and it gave her time to think.

**-oOo-**

**Aljinon - Well I'm glad you decided to give this fic a try, maybe I should try resummerising my story to make it sound more interesting?**

**phoenixrisingGhostLoveScore - hello again my old friend, glad your still hanging in there, now you can imagine Silas with a monster hard on!**

**Possessed-Gummy-Bear-Inferno - Hands off! the duct tape is all mine, I invented it for Pete's sake! lol.**

**Possessed-Gummy-Bear-Inferno - You can warn me again and again but cliffies will always be there! Yeah that line was pretty random, but then so am I.**

**A/N : Wo-ho! Another chappie done, I was getting a little writers block and this chapter is a little shorter then the rest so no need to write and tell me, however there are longer ones to come as we reach the end of the story and a few more twists to come!**


	18. Forget and Surrender

**Chapter Seventeen**

**Forget and Surrender**

**-oOo-**

The hours seeped away as Chloe lay as uncomfortable as possible to remain awake. Her left side had begun to go numb as she lay propping her head up with her arm, but the monk was still sound asleep, only stirring once to get comfortable.

Chloe studied the monks face once more, seeing the lines of a hard life etched into it, but he was not without a sense of youthfulness, his skin was flawless and almost glowed in the soft moonlight that filtered into the room.

Fatigue was beginning to fall on Chloe, making her eye lids flutter and a yawn to crack, but she kept her eyes peeled on the monk, refusing to give him an opening to escape, he was too important to her, and to her case to drop her guard long enough for him to flee.

Chloe's head slowly began to droop, her limbs feeling heavier as time wore on and her mind ached and throbbed with the effort of keeping awake until finally her body won and she settled into a restless sleep without even realising.

The light was the first thing Chloe saw as consciousness slowly came back to her. Chloe never could remember having the first mornings light drain her bedroom in her little flat, but then in a wave, all the past few days rushed back to her as she sat up in bed. Frantically she checked on Silas and with surprise found him still curled in bed, deep asleep.

Relief flooded over Chloe, she couldn't believe she had fallen asleep. She scolded herself as she got out of bed and went about checking that her gun was still in her bag and the door was still locked. Surprised, Chloe returned to her bed and helped herself to a cereal bar from her bag. Silas was beginning to stir and brought his hands up to rub his eyes.

"Morning" Chloe said, throwing a cereal bar across the room landing on his chest. Silas dragged his body into a sitting position as he gratefully took the food and began unpeeling the wrapper.

A rather uncomfortable silence fell on the room as both occupants avoided each others eye as they ate their breakfast. Chloe had no idea what they would do for the next few hours, she had to call Aringarosa at four o'clock and make arrangements, but until then, she didn't want to be locked in this small room with Silas and she didn't want to take him outside in case he escaped.

Chloe made her mind up and decided to let them both take a walk, she felt they both needed the air and to slip back into some kind of reality, and she had her gun in her waistband and had the monks' hands tied behind his back, so she would be safe. Chloe stayed close, there arms touching continuously causing the monk to flush. They headed towards the local park and watched the children play and the parents watching them.

_That's what I wanted_, Chloe thought sadly, _a family_. But considering she was unable to look at a man she knew that would be impossible now. She looked sideways at Silas who was looking at the children in awe as if he had never seen one before. Chloe wondered if he had ever thought of have children at one point in his life, she was tempted to ask but figured it would be too personal and left it.

Once the silence became uncomfortable, Chloe ordered the monk to head back to the motel, the sky was beginning to darken and rain clouds were gathering around their heads.

Once they got back to their motel room, Silas lay out on his bed while Chloe sifted through her bag and brought out a sandwich for herself and one for the monk. Chloe turned the television on and both watched the news, which didn't show anything interesting, and the weather report was just as promising, it looked as though Paris was in for severe storms for the next few days. Already there was one brewing outside, Chloe was sure she heard thunder echoing from the foggy sky.

Gradually the thunder and lightening grew closer and closer, the windows and doors rattled and the rain hit the panes of glass like stones. Chloe looked about nervously as Silas' attention was still on the television. Then suddenly with a huge clap of thunder the television and the light above their beds went out with a snap.

Silas rolled over with a frown, Chloe got to her feet and looked out of the window, the storm was driving rain in every direction, trees waved a groaned in the wind and an emergency lighting system beeped into action sending a soft glow beaming into their room.

Silas got to his feet and smoothed his jumper down, "Perhaps I will use this time to wash," he said and without another word he walked into the bathroom. Chloe turned back to the window and studied the weather for a bit longer. It was almost as if the turmoil outside matched that in her heart. She was all conflicted and not just about the case, her confusing feelings towards the monk were still there and muddling with her head at the same time. Sighing she lay down on her bed and closed her eyes, listening to the soothing sounds of the water running next door, she pictured a naked Silas washing himself and instantly blushed and forced the image out of her mind.

"What's wrong with me?" she muttered to herself.

Rolling over she reached for her phone that was tucked in her bag and dialled for the hospital again. She didn't want to wait anymore to find out Aringarosa's answer and now was the perfect time with Silas out of the room.

Chloe tapped her foot nervously on the ground as the dial tone continued to ring in her ear, then the phone clicked and a tired voice came on the line.

"_I though I might be hearing from you_" said the Bishop. A bubble of guilt rose in Chloe's throat as she heard the fatigue and sadness in the man's voice, but it was his own fault she reminded herself.

"Have you made your decision?" she asked

"_I will do anything for my Silas, you have my word I will co-operate Miss Blanc. But you must understand that this will not be easy nor safe. My life is now in great peril as is yours and Silas_'"

"I understand, but we all get what we want if this works out and in the end, that's what matters, don't you agree?" Chloe asked.

The Bishop sighed on the other end of the line, "_Fine, how do you wish to do this?_" he asked.

"I want you to write a statement giving me all the names of the Bishops in the Council, I want you to sign it and use a carrier to bring it to the train station at Les Lilas, when I have read your confession and am happy with it I will release the monk" Chloe explained.

"_I wish to be there to take Silas home myself_," Aringarosa growled.

"Non, suspicions will rise if you leave the hospital. You will do as I say," said Chloe warningly.

Aringarosa sighed, "_Fine, I will organise it straight away_"

"Bon" Chloe smiled and closed her phone a huge wave of relief flooded over her. It was done, now all she needed to do was wait for the signed confession and all of this would be over.

The bathroom door opened and Silas walked out, rubbing his soggy hair. He looked at Chloe before checking that the television was still out, when it didn't turn back on he rolled over onto his bed and lay there with his eyes closed muttering a prayer under his breath.

Chloe lay on her own bed and sighed to herself, hoping that this time tomorrow, she would be free of this whole terrible nightmare.

Opposite, the monk shifted on his bed to face her, "Are we to stay here for another day?" he asked quietly.

Chloe glanced over at him, "Why are you interested?" she asked, occupying herself by retying her shoes.

"Even a captive has the right to know what will happen to him," Silas said darkly.

Chloe frowned. She was surprised to find how blurred the line between captor and captive had become over the last few days, but he was right.

"We stay here until tomorrow, and then I don't know," she explained simply. Silas obviously was not satisfied with this response and glared at her.

"Did you even have a plan after you kidnapped me?" he said.

Chloe glared back at him, annoyed at his sudden attitude. Had it been because he was angry with her for making him aroused the night before? It was a funny thought which almost caused a smirk to rise on her face. She had found a weakness of his and now she felt equal to him. Without his cilice, Silas was like every other hot-blooded male.

"I'm making it up as I go along. I don't make it a habit of kidnapping if you must know" Chloe replied and lay flat on her bed with another sigh. She was in no mood to be dragged into another argument; she needed to keep her thoughts together.

Silas lay on his side, studying the woman who lay before him. His eyes raked her face as if trying to find something there. Chloe averted her eyes uncomfortable with the way he was starring at her, it was calculated and it unnerved her.

"Can I help you?" she snapped suddenly.

Silas starred at her for a few more seconds before replying, "You will not kill me," he said simply.

Chloe raised an eyebrow and rested her head onto the palm of her hand, mirroring Silas's relaxed position, "Oh oui? And how did you come to that conclusion?"

"You may hate life and what it has done to you, but you still value it, even if those lives have been used to do…unspeakable things" he added glumly, obviously recalling his own questionable past.

"You're wrong" Chloe spat, "You think I would give a second thought about putting a bullet between the eyes of the man who raped me?"

Silas' eyes widened at realising he had insulted Chloe, "Killing him would not erase the pain he caused you" he added.

Chloe sat up and swung her legs off the bed, Silas followed suit and both glared at one another, "Non, it won't, but it's a start"

"He was a monster, but God will deal him his punishment"

Chloe jumped to her feet, Silas did the same, both clenching fists and sparks flying from their eyes.

"God?!" Chloe spat, "If there were a God, he would have stopped that man doing what he did to me!"

Silas opened his mouth to say something but shut it fast as if he had lost his train of thought.

"What?!" demanded Chloe, "Were you going to tell me that everything happens for a reason? That I was supposed to learn something from being raped? That feeling defiled and dirty is some part of a bigger plan for me? Tell me Silas, because if wishing to die every time I see the mark he left on me is what I have to look forward too for the rest of my life then maybe I should just hand you my gun and let you finish me off just like you tried to do in that cell" she breathed, her eyes swirling with tears.

Silas starred at her for a second, and then suddenly he lunged forward grabbing the handle of Chloe's gun and pulling it out of her waistband before Chloe had time to react.

Her blood ran cold as he levelled the pistol at her heart.

She looked up at Silas' face; his eyebrows were set in a firm frown, his mouth in a tight line and his knuckles turned white as he gripped the gun in front of him.

All of Chloe's limbs went cold as she starred down the barrel of her own gun, "So you're going to kill me?" she asked, not sure whether she cared or not.

Silas clicked the gun, sending a shiver down Chloe's spine.

"I should kill you" he muttered sadly, his eyes still boring in Chloe's, "I should kill you for taking me away from my patron, for taking away my cilice, for making me question my own faith, and…" he faltered, Chloe took a sharp intake of breath when she saw the raw emotion in his eyes and the way his hand shook. She knew he had no intention of killing her and it was becoming evident as to why.

"Silas?" Chloe asked, surprised at how soft and sympathetic her voice was and without another thought she took a step forward, closing the gap between her and the monk, the muzzle of the gun now grazing her collar bone, but she did not avert her eyes from Silas'.

The monk swallowed hard, "…and for…for making me…" he struggled, but with a sudden confidence he tossed the gun to the side, snaked his arms around Chloe and crushed his lips hungrily against hers.

Chloe's eyes flew open in surprise, but what she didn't expect was to return the kiss. All thought and sense left her mind as she revelled in the feel of his soft lips against hers and the powerful large hands threading through her hair as he held her tightly to his chest. Silas' kisses were inexperienced, either he had never kissed before or it had been a long time since he had allowed himself to kiss this way.

Then suddenly he thrust Chloe away from him, spinning right into the bathroom and toppling over on the hard floor. Painfully she looked up and saw Silas breathlessly starring down at her with sadness in his eyes.

"I am sorry" he spoke and before Chloe could get to her feet, he had slammed the bathroom door shut.

"Merde!" Chloe yelled, slamming her fists on the door and rattling the door knob, but it was no use, Silas had put something against the door to prevent it from swinging open. Fustrated tears leapt to her eyes at the foolishness of her actions. She had let her guard down for one second and now everything was ruined. Silas was gone, she could no longer hear him on the other side of the door and he would waste no time in running back to Paris to be with Aringarosa. Then of course the Bishop will retract his confession and Chloe would still be in the same mess.

With a sob she threw her weight against the door, suceeding in other brusiing her shoulder and fell to the ground in a mass of tears. She had failed and not only herself but Capitaine Fache and her own godfather. She had let them all down.

**-oOo-**

**A/N: Ok people, I know some of you will be upset that I removed the sex scene, but I was never really happy with the end of this chapter and it took a very stern review from 'Rae-scars adorn me' to finally rewrite it. I'm really sorry to those who liked the original, but this rewrite works much better for me.**


	19. Face thine Enemy

**Chapter Eighteen**

**Face thine Enemy**

**-oOo-**

Chloe angrily paced the platform, her knuckles turned white as she gripped the bag to her shoulder and muttered curses under her breath.

Two hours. _Two hours_, she had been stuck in that bathroom until the cleaning lady had heard her shouts and moved the heavy wardrobe from it's place in front of the door. Chloe hadn't even said 'thank you' as she stormed out of the room, grabbing her things and racing to the train station. All she could see was red, but it wasn't just the monk she was angry with, she was furious with herself for dropping her guard, for making herself belief that Silas might have cared for her. It made angry tears well up in her eyes, but stubbornly she forced them back and continued wearing a hole in the concrete.

"Hurry up!" she hissed under her breath. The ticket officer had told her the train would be there seven o'clock on the dot, but as she checked her watch, it was now three minutes past and her agitation only grew worse and worse with each passing second. She even snapped at women who had asked if a shopping bag she had found belonged to her, the woman had rushed off muttering under her breath, but Chloe didn't care, all she cared about was getting back to Paris and forcing a confession out of Aringarosa, even if she had to put her gun to his head. Even the prospect of coming face to face with one of the hired hit men didn't scare her as much as before, she felt as though she could take anyone on right now.

Finally the lights and moving noises of the train cut through her thoughts, with a sigh of relief, Chloe jumped onto the train before it had even stopped and took port in an empty compartment. She pushed aside a newspaper that had been left there by a previous occupant and tapped her foot impatiently on the sticky floor until the train whistled and began to roll away from the station.

The hours of fatigue began to weigh in on Chloe as she was forced to sit and contemplate on the foolish actions that had causes her foul mood and with the heavy tiredness drew an incredible sadness and disappointment. Chloe had never opened herself up to any man since the attack, Silas had been the only one, and to give yourself willingly like that to someone only to be tossed aside made Chloe feel more ashamed and more pathetic then ever. And she was sure there were true feeling harboured by herself for the monk, but now in her rage and self-pity, it was harder to see those feelings.

The ride back to the city was uneventful, twice she had contemplated calling her godfather to explain the situation and ask for his guidance, but she was too ashamed and no doubt questions of how the monk escaped her would be brought up. No, she would have to deal with the mess herself, it was how it had to be done, and it was personal. Chloe was only able to grab ten minutes of restless sleep before waking up in a fit of alarm, she had dreamt again of the rape, but this time Silas had been standing nearby, watching the whole thing from afar, and no matter how loud she screamed, he would not come to her aid.

Shaking her head to ride herself of the images, Chloe checked her watch and looked outside her misty window. Buildings were getting taller and there were less space between them, meaning they were now entering the city. Chloe hauled her bags to her and stepped out of the compartment to the awaiting doors and no sooner had they opened, she threw herself into the freezing night air and hailed a taxi.

"Hopitaux de Paris" she instructed, "And fast" she added flashing her police badge.

It took no longer then fifteen minutes to circulate the city, Chloe tucked her weapon into the back of her trousers, grabbed her badge and ordered the taxi driver to wait for her to return. Then she was off, dashing into the reception where an alarmed receptionist starred at her.

"I need to speak with Aringarosa" she said, flashing her badge again, "It's an emergency"

The willowy receptionist smiled as if amused, "Emergency or not, officer, Bishop Aringarosa was signed out today"

Chloe felt her stomach drop to her feet.

"Dammit!" she swore, making the woman in front of her jump, "Where is he?"

"He was taken into the care of a Bishop Horus. I don't know where he took him" she replied rather startled.

Chloe slammed her fist down on the desk, getting her a few odd looks, but she ignored then and rushed back out of the hospital and into the taxi.

"Where to now, officer" the driver asked.

"Saint Sulpice" she replied. The car drove off, Chloe took a deep breath, not even knowing if she was going in the right direction. Silas must have reached Aringarosa and warned him that she would be coming back. This Horus character, who had instigated the freedom of Silas in the first place must have offered the Bishop and his ward protection and in more ways then one. If this Horus was indeed a member of the Council, he was protecting it by hiding Aringarosa from her, so that he couldn't give a statement.

Chloe lent her head against the window and watched the cars and lights go by. All of the people walking along the pavement had no idea of the trouble she was in. They were all in their own little worlds, living out their simple yet happy lives, while she fought for hers. Chloe's eyes grazed over one particular happy couple, rushing along in big winter coats, they gloved hands grasping each other and smiles graced their faces as they looked at one another. It was beautiful yet sad to Chloe, it was something that she wanted more then anything, but something that was just beyond her fingertips. Then her eyes ran over a street sign, it's arrows pointing paths, but there was one particular sign that made her shout for the driver to stop. The cab braked hard, causing the car behind them to do the same. The sound of squealing tires were complimented by the angry horns and cursing shouts, but Chloe didn't pay them any heed. Her eyes ran over the sign once more.

"Sevèrin" she whispered, recalling the word coming from the lips of one drugged monk. She turned to the driver who was cursing at her for making him stop so suddenly. "What is that place?" she demanded over his protests, the driver reluctantly looked down the road.

"It's a church, you crazy lady! You'd better pay for any damage to my cab!" he roared.

"Fine, fine. Whatever! Take me to that church" she ordered. Cursing once more, the driver bristled his black moustache and pulled down the peak of his cap as he moved off.

This whole time, Chloe had thought Sevèrin had been a woman, an old love or his mother maybe. But the whole time it had been the name of a church. It was a long shot, but it was better then nothing.

Still muttering under his breath, the cab braked outside a magnificent looking church. It wasn't half as glorious as Saint Sulpice, but the detail was tremendous and the way it bore down on the narrow street was intimidating. Chloe made sure her gun was still in her waistband as she headed for the door.

"Hey, you owe me sixty-three euros, lady!" the driver said.

"Stay here, I'll be back," she said as she pushed her way out of the cab. Timidly she walked up the steps and was surprised to find the large wooden doors of the church were wide open, willing in any passer-by. Slowly she passed the threshold, feeling the instantaneous change from the cold outer breeze to the warm, radiated heat inside. Cautiously, Chloe looked around, oil-lamps led her way through a large corridor, biblical paintings were on every empty section of wall and the air was erringly quiet. She held her left hand over her gun, prepared to pull it out should she need to defend herself. There was another corridor at the end of the hallway that led into the man atrium of the church. Already she could see the lines of pews and the alter bathed in candlelight stood at the feet of a large crucifix.

Chloe heard a flurry of movement began her; she spun round and saw a bustle of elderly nuns scamper their way across the room, oblivious to Chloe's presence as they laughed and chatted to one another. Chloe turned round and saw another singular nun standing at the alter, she turned and saw Chloe walking down the isle of pews towards her and smiled respectfully. Chloe could not resist the bow she gave in return as she stepped up the small frail woman in her habit. Her face looked thin and gaunt and her hands shook slightly as she held them together before her, but her smile was radiant and genuine which warmed Chloe's heard.

"Come my child, please, you are welcome in the house of God" she nodded.

Chloe moved her hand away from her gun, feeling very disrespectful, but she had to remember why she was here and it wasn't to pray to the Almighty.

"Sister" she nodded, "My name is Chloe Blanc" she pulled her badge and showed it to the nun who took it and inspected it thoroughly before returning it to Chloe, "I need to speak with Bishop Aringarosa. Is he here?" she asked.

The nun smiled, "I believe someone did arrive today, he was in the care of Bishop Horus. I am not sure if it was the man of whom you speak"

"Do you think it would be possible to check? I need to speak to Aringarosa quite urgently, regarding a serious police matter," she asked. The nun nodded.

"I will go and fetch Bishop Horus for you, no doubt he will want to speak to you first" she explained and hurried off.

Chloe tucked her badge back into her pocket and watched her go, feeling at last like she was making some kind of progress. Silently she waited, watching the flickering flames and the darkened stain-glass window, their artwork silenced by the darkened skies outside.

She wished that it wasn't so quiet in here, the silence made her nervous, but perhaps that was from living in the city her whole life, she was used to noise, used to the hustle and bustle, silence was just unnatural.

She looked behind her as footfalls echoed down the isle. She saw a man, his face shadowed but dressed as, Chloe could only assume, a Bishop and the nun she had spoken to, hastily trotting along behind him.

"Ah, Miss Blanc, a pleasant surprise" Came the Bishops voice, it was deep and husky, something disturbingly familiar. Chloe frowned, her heart racing, why was she suddenly so afraid?

"I'm afraid you haven't quite caught the church at it's best, the windows are much more pleasurable to witness in the sunlight" Bishop Horus continued as he walked forward, his arms outstretched. Chloe squinted, trying to see the man's face and then the candlelight poured over his features making then instantly recognisable.

Chloe's blood ran cold; she recalled the cold, dark eyes, the long bulbous nose, and the thin lips. She recalled how they whispered unspeakable things into her ear, how his rough tongue coursing across her cheek. She was starring into the face of her rapist.

"Don't you move!" she screamed, pulling her gun out and holding in front of her, creating a barrier between herself and the man who had haunted her dreams for months.

But instead of quaking at the sight of a gun aimed at his chest or even some kind of recognition in his eyes at seeing his victim for the first time since he attack her, the Bishop put his hands up in mock surrender and chuckled.

"I do say, Officer, you are one for the dramatics. Now may I ask what I have done?"

The nun at his side gasped and held her hands to her lips, "Bishop?"

"Now, now Sister Florence. This is obviously some mistake" he assured her, his joyous gaze turning back to Chloe.

"How dare you?" she growled, "After all this time, you were a Bishop and you were doing those things to t-to us. All of t-those women" she added, finding it hard to control her voice, all manner of fear and anger surging through her.

The bastard was a Priest! A man doing the work of his precious Lord, a man supposedly spreading the good word and trying to make the world a better place. No wonder she had never been able to track him down, she hadn't thought anyone in a position like his would have the moral capability of raping tens of helpless women.

"I must say, Miss Blanc, I have no idea what you're talking about" he frowned, "Now I must ask you to lower your weapon, this is a house of God"

"You son-of-a-bitch! You mean to say you don't remember me? You don't remember the face's of all those girls you dirtied, all those women you hurt and left to die?!" she shouted, her hand shaking as she held her pistol level with the Bishop's face.

"Now, now, young lady, I think we've heard enough" he said a little more sternly.

"What is she saying, Bishop?" the nun trembled.

"What I'm saying is that this man here, representing you Lord, is nothing but a dirty, disgusting, morally devoid rapist!" she shouted.

For a moment, her accusation was left echoing around the empty alcove. The nun bit her fingernails and shook her head, the Bishop, however, just stood and starred at her. It made her skin crawl the thought of him looking at her, remembering all the horrible things he did to her body.

"And where is your proof?" he replied quietly.

"My proof?" Chloe asked with a glare, "How about the fact that I was one of your victims!" she screamed, "How about the fact that you grabbed me from the shadows, you hit me, you tore at my clothes, how about the fact that you forced yourself on me and threatened to kill me if I made any noise, how about the fact that after you had finished with me, you left me to die under that bridge like I was nothing!" she added, her hand shaking even more as she recalled the monsters attack on her, but again there was no change in the expression of the man in front of her. He merely starred, the nun however looked as though she was going to pass out.

"Sister Florence, please return to your quarters, I will deal with this disgraceful smirch on my name" he said, looking directly down at the little woman. She looked up at him and shook her head.

"But Bishop, I cannot think to leave, what…? Are these things…? Rapist?" she whispered.

"I assure you none of them are true" he smiled and gently pushed the old woman in the direction of the door. Gingerly at first she tottered away, then he turned his head back to Chloe, "Those are quite some accusations"

Chloe aimed the pistol between his eyes, "I could kill you now and no one would question it. I could say you tried to attack me"

"Then why don't you?" he asked with a smug smile, "Kill me now, I'd like to see how the world reacts to a police officer murdering a Bishop of the Church in cold blood" he added.

Chloe clicked her gun and levelled the gun again, but next to her own head she heard another gun hammer click into place. She turned her head and looked down the barrel of a pistol, the holder was none other then Silas.

"Get that gun out of my face" Chloe snapped, "This monster needs to die"

Silas was back in his robes, no doubt his cilice was back in place as he fixed Chloe with a frown, "He is a man of the church, and he protects me and offers my patron care"

"He raped me!" she cried, ignoring the look of shock in the monks eyes as she turned her head back to Horus, "Does it make you feel good? Huh? Raping those girls, becoming as primal as a insect and then coming back here to be worshiped like a God"

"You don't know what you're talking about" Horus said smartly, "Now lower your weapon" he said.

"Never" Chloe spat.

"I will be forced to order Silas, here to protect me, and believe me he will"

"I know that" Chloe muttered, recalling the photos of each and every victim of Silas'. She knew quite well what he was capable of, she had witnessed it first hand and he was holding a gun to the back of her head.

"Then put it down and don't waste your life" Horus said.

But all Chloe could see when she looked into that face, was the cruel and violent man that had attacked her that night six months ago. No way could she live with herself if she let him walk out of the church to do it again to some other woman, she owed it to them, she owed it to herself. He had to die.

"It's too late for both of us" and with that she lifted her gun for the last time and felt her finger on the trigger, but before she could squeeze a pain erupted at the back of her head and the smug face of Bishop Horus faded out of view as she hit the floor.

**-oOo-**

**A/N: Okay, because of the change around of the last chapter, I won't be doing personal reviews for this one, but just to let PhoenixrisingLoveGhostScore know that regardless of Silas and Chloe sleeping together, he would have escaped and left her stranded anyway. Just so that bit is cleared up! Phew! Well I hope you liked the cliffie on this one, obviously not all peaches and cream for Chloe right now, bless her. But let me know what you think.**


	20. Surviving

**Chapter Nineteen**

**Surviving**

**-oOo-**

Chloe wasn't sure if it was the painful throbbing at the back of her skull or the sharp chill of the room that awoke her, but she felt a presence in the room before she had even begun to open her eyes. She felt incredibly groggy, as if she had been asleep for hours, the last few minutes before she lost consciousness were only a blur in the back of her mind.

_Where am I?_ She thought, as she went to lift her hand up to massage the back of her aching skull, but her hands were stuck fast behind her, and she appeared to be sitting on a very uncomfortable chair. Chloe's senses hit her as she remembered facing the rapist, remembered Silas pointing a gun at her, and remembered how she tried to pull the trigger. With a groan she lifted her tired head off of her chest and glanced around, her eyes still heavy with sleep.

She was in a small room, shadows filled every corner and the only window was a small arch type, stain-glass window in the top right corner of the room, allowing only a little light to enter, but enough for Chloe to see the waves of dust float and dance in the light. The rest of the room was empty, except for a large desk pushed up against the wall in front of her, mounted with scrolls and old texts and as she looked behind, there were a few assorted brooms old buckets.

Chloe began to wriggle against the tight bindings on her hands, but they were bound expertly behind the back of the chair. Chloe's jaw tightened, that rapist had her prisoner again, her skin crawled at the thought of him touching her to get her into this room, she was mostly glad she had been unconscious the whole time. And what of Silas? It must have been him who struck her back in the chapel, but why wouldn't he believe her when she told him Horus was the rapist? He had saved the very monster Chloe had been hunting down for six months. This whole time, Silas had known her attacker; it made her sick to her stomach, knowing she had shared those terrible memories with him. Chloe bowed her head and wished this was all some terrible dream. She had always hope for the day she would be able to press the muzzle of her gun against the skull of her rapist, but never had she seen herself captive again, she felt idiotic and doomed. What would he do to her now? The thought sent chills of fear down her back. No way could he rape her in the church he lived in, and even though Silas was no ideal monk, he would not stand by and watch Horus do those things to her again.

Her blood froze as the terrible memories of that night flooded her mind. No, she would never let that happen again, never, she had made that promise to herself and she would not break it. No matter what Horus did to her, no matter what he said, she would die before he laid another hand on her, before he fouled her body again. She would not be the victim.

The large wooden door in front of her clicked as a huge bolt was slide open. Chloe felt her body tense as she watched the hem of a monks robes drift into the room. She refused to meet the eyes of the intruder, staring blanking at the stone floor instead. The sandaled feet walked forward a few steps, but stopped at least two yards from where Chloe sat tied to the chair.

"I am sorry I hit you, but you gave me no other choice" Silas said, his voice cutting through the silence.

Chloe felt like shouting and screaming at the idiot man in front of her, was he so blind? Did he not see what was going on under his very nose?

"Bishop Horus has been kind to my patron; I must honour and protect him as I would Bishop Aringarosa, for he has offered us shelter and safety"

Chloe lifted her eyes to the monks, his face had a little more colour in it, he looked healthier and more alive, yet his eyes were suffering turmoil, perhaps guilt?

"You don't know what he's capable of. He's a wolf in sheep's clothing, Silas. Let me go so I can take him in, I'll ignore all of this" she said, gesturing to her bound hands and sore head.

"I am not foolish, Miss Blanc. Horus is a friend of the Bishop's, so he must be a good man" he said sharply.

"And what about Sir Leigh Teabing? Your patron said he was a good man, didn't he? And he betrayed you both. What's different this time?" she snapped.

Silas strode forward and slammed his palms down on the arm rests of the chair. His face bare inches from her own, she recalled that the last time they had been this close; they had kissed, but that felt a million miles and a million years ago now.

"This is different, Horus is a Bishop, he is a man of the Church" he hissed.

"You're a monk yet you still murdered innocent people" she hissed back.

Both starred at one another, fiery anger in their eyes, but nothing could be said. Chloe would never be able to tell Silas what a true monster Horus was, he would have to see it for himself, but she was hardly prepared to give herself up as bait. Nothing was worth that. The door behind Silas opened again as the monk pushed away from Chloe. Her blood both froze and boiled at the sight of Horus, he held himself high like he did back in the chapel, he seemed to look down on both her and Silas, his creaseless robes heightened him and gave in a royal air, which only succeeded in making Chloe want to scratch his eyes out.

"So I see you have awakened, Officer Blanc. Maybe now we can talk" he smiled politely.

"Go to Hell" she snapped. The irony was lot lost on both Silas and Horus, who looked at one another, Silas looked alarmed and almost afraid, whereas Horus only chuckled once again, infuriating Chloe even more.

"My, my, I see we haven't lost our attitude" he said.

"You have no right to keep me here, I am an officer of the law and keeping me against my will is an offence punishable by imprisonment"

Silas again looked nervously at Bishop Horus, who instead of chuckling or smiling like an idiot who had just been told a bad joke; he ran his fingers along the table behind him, his fingertips grazing the muzzle of her pistol and her badge.

"Please believe me, Ms Blanc, I have no desire to cause trouble, I only wish to talk with you, particularly in your interest of Aringarosa" he said.

Chloe felt a light bulb go off in her brain. _Of course, you idiot!_ She thought furiously. If Horus was indeed the man who pulled Silas out of custody and moved Aringarosa so he could watch his every move, he must be within the Council of Shadows, and as he had no scruples about raping defenceless women, he would have no qualms with ordering the deaths of innocent people.

She was looking at the leader of the Council of Shadows. What a small world, she thought bitterly, that the men she was searching for in both cases, turned out to be the same one.

"That's confidential" she muttered.

Horus smiled and rubbed his hands together; "Silas" he said, "I think it's time for your patron's medication, would you run along and see to him while I finish matters here" he smiled pleasantly.

Chloe felt a large frog in her throat as Silas starred from Horus to Chloe, but she refused to look at him, to plead with him with her eyes not to leave her here with this monster. She knew what was coming now and she would not weep and scream like last time, she would ruin this for Horus as much as she could and for starters, she would no beg Silas for help, chances are he would give it anyway.

"If you are sure, Bishop Horus. Will you not require my assistance?" he offered, still looking down at Chloe.

Horus put a friendly hand on the monks shoulder and squeezed, "I appreciate the offer, my son, but I will be fine. Go, you patron needs you"

Silas gave a fleeting glance back at Chloe and reluctantly left the room, the door shutting with terrible thud that echoed around the room. Bishop Horus rubbed his hands together and waited patiently until he was sure Silas was out of earshot before his whole expression changed. Instantly he went from a sweet well-mannered Priest, to a dangerous animal-like beast. His eyes grew distinctly darker, his mouth drew into a scowl and hate and lust radiated off of him. He jumped forward and slapped Chloe hard across the face, jerking her head sharply to the right. She hissed in pain as the stinging slap reverberated across her entire face.

"You silly little whore" he hissed into her ear, "You think you could ruin everything for me? Ruin everything I worked so hard to build?" and he struck her again, nearly knocking the whole chair over.

Horus grabbed the arm rests of each side and pressed his face up to Chloe's, she could smell a faint whiff of aftershave and an intoxicating aroma of whisky on his breath.

Just like that night, Chloe thought painfully.

"You're under arrest" Chloe breathed, "Anything you say-" she began, but another sharp slap across the face disorientated her.

"You don't get it, do you bitch! You're not going to walk out of here alive, but there's no point in wasting what's been put here for me" he growled, a scary glint in his eye as he ran his tongue over his lips. "It's been almost two weeks since I allowed myself this pleasure, I've been a good boy" he smiled sickly and leaned into Chloe, running a tongue up her cheek.

Chloe heaved, almost throwing up in her mouth, but she grabbed her strength and violently kicked out with her legs, striking the Bishop in the shins, causing him to yelp in pain and stagger backwards. Chloe tried to get to her feet, but found positioning herself with a chair tied to her back very difficult.

Horus rubbed his shin and leapt forward again with a growl, punching his enormous fist into Chloe's unprotected stomach. The wind was almost knocked out of her as she keeled over and fell hard onto the ground, coughing uncontrollable at the spasm of pain in her stomach. But Horus was not done, he charged several more kicks as Chloe; leaving her struggling for breath and every bit of air she took it felt like her stomach was being pummelled from the inside.

"How do you like it, bitch" Horus sneered, "Had enough? Want to scream for help? Go ahead, there's no one around, I picked the most vacant part of the church, we're all alone" he laughed and dragged her up by the chair, leaving her to rock uncertainly as he swung a left hook, momentarily causing Chloe to loose all sense of herself as dots fluttered about her vision.

"Go on, scream, scream for help" Horus ordered, holding Chloe's face up as it threatened to droop down to her chest, "Scream for me, little bitch"

Chloe glared into the mans hateful eyes and spat saliva and blood into his face, "Fuck you" she coughed.

Horus casually wiped away the mess with the sleeve of his habit and sighed, "You're not making this easy for yourself" he said.

"You mean I'm not making this easy for you" Chloe hissed, already feeling the right side of her face swelling through the torture.

"Fine" Horus hissed through gritted teeth as he cracked his knuckles. Chloe held her breath, closed her eyes and waited for it all to start again.

Chloe had no idea how long it had gone on for, and remarkable she was surprised she had held on still, but she hoped she would at least be unconscious by now. The chair she had been tied to was now shattered into timber as Horus had thrown her about in it. Her hands were still loosely tied in the ropes, but she had neither the energy nor sense to untie herself, she was now vaguely aware of where she was, but every time Horus kicked or hit her, she lost more and more sense, but she knew enough to keep him from getting near enough to touch her in that way. Every time he came close to tearing off her jacket or mounting her, she kicked out and knocked him back, which only seemed to anger him more, but as she still had breath in her body, she refused to let him rape her again. He could beat the crap out of, he may even kill her, but he would never rape her.

Horus stood over her still form as he massaged his red knuckles. She saw him in the corner of her eyes as she lay almost paralysed on the cold stone flagstones.

"Come on, little girl, don't put yourself through this" Horus said, almost sympathetically, "Just give me what I want and it'll all be over soon" he added, smiling sickly. He went to move forward again and leaned over Chloe, but she kicked out, connecting her foot with the side of the Bishops face, knocking him backwards. She was glad to see, as he got to his feet, a small amount of blood drip from his left nostril. He stemmed the flow with his sleeve and growled, "That's it, no more games" and he lunged forward, throwing his whole weight onto Chloe. The wind was momentarily knocked out of her as the Bishop pinned her legs down with his own, she tried to release her hands that were pinned painfully behind her back, but she could move enough to get them free.

"Get off of me!" she roared, feeling and hearing the desperation in her own voice.

"That's what I wanted to hear" Horus hissed hungrily as he fumbled with her top.

"No!" she yelled, kicking her legs wildly and with no avail.

_If there is a God_, she thought, _please don't let this happen again!_

"Bishop Horus!" came a voice from the middle of the room. Both Chloe and Horus froze as they looked towards the monk standing unsurely in the middle of the room, a gun held in his hand, pointing directly at Horus.

"Put it down boy, you have no idea what's happening here" growled Horus.

Silas looked hurt and confused, the look of someone who had been betrayed, "How could you? You are a Bishop of the church and you dishonour women like this"

"Silas. Put the gun down" Horus ordered.

"Get off of her" he ordered, pointing the gun a little higher, towards Horus' head. Horus complied, slowly lifting his weight off Chloe and rubbing his hands together.

"See, I'm up" he said, "Now put the gun down"

Chloe was barely conscious now, she struggled to hear all the words the two men were sharing, but she had never been so thankful to see the albino monk, and when she felt the Bishop's weight lift off of her, she felt herself giving in to the darkness, but she tried to fight it, tried to make sure Silas would be alright.

"We trusted you and yet you do this to women, you do this to Chloe?" he asked in disbelief, "How can you call yourself a man of God when you act like the devil?"

Horus stepped towards Silas, "I am still a man, Silas, and I have urges. I'm sure you do too, do you not see a woman and wish to own her, all of her"

Silas looked down at Chloe, he saw the beaten and bruised face, the lifeless eyes, he looked back at Horus, "No, not in the way you do, Bishop. She was right, you are a monster" he said.

Horus took another step forward, by Silas was not willing to fire his weapon, and he was sure the Bishop knew that.

"You would kill a Bishop; you would kill a man who has taken you and your patron into his protection and care? You are foolish, boy" he said.

Silas fidgeted on the spot, unsure of what to do, he only wished Aringarosa were there to advise him, but he was not so he would have to make his own decision. Kill a Bishop? Or let him live and continue his reign of terror?

"I must take you to the police station, Bishop. You must pay for what you have done" he said.

"And what for the crimes you have committed?" Horus asked, "The people you have killed?"

"I have repented and suffered for those mistakes. I was led astray" he explained.

"Could not the same be said for me?" Horus asked, taking another step forward.

"You don't repent, you are not sorry. I will take you to the police" Silas said firmly.

"Well I am sorry you feel that way, my son" Horus said with a sigh, "Because I will now have to dispose of you too" and without another world, he lunged at Silas with a roar, knocking the gun from his hand.

Chloe heard the instant shuffling and groans of the two men, she assumed they were fighting, but the blurring of her eyes and the roaring in her ears made it hard to see what was going on. She tried to lift her head off of the floor, but it felt so heavy she only succeeded in lifting it for a few seconds. Again she tried to move her hands which were now painfully digging into her spine, she found the ropes loosening some more and tried to screw them out from under her.

Silas and Horus continued to wrestle each other, each receiving blows from the other. Already Silas was suffering from a bloody nose while Horus was sure he had sprained something when Silas had knocked him to the ground, but they both fought on, trying to get the upper hand, both had probably the same amount of upper body strength, but the cilice on Silas' leg only made it harder for him to kick out and attack the Bishop's lower body.

Horus dived once more at Silas, knocking them both painfully into the table, knocking both Chloe's gun and badge onto the ground. Horus charged an elbow into Silas' face knocking him to the side as he grabbed the gun, both men got to their feet, panting heavily and glaring at one another, the pistol held out between the two men.

"It's too bad, Silas, you could have joined me. I didn't think someone who murdered by command would have a problem enjoying women like I do" he breathed, "I guess I will have to bury two bodies instead of just the one" he raised the gun "Pity"

From behind, Chloe and wrestled her arms free and her fingers curled around Silas' gun, with all the strength she could muster, she tried to focus down the muzzle of the gun and aimed for Horus and just as he raised his own gun, she pulled the trigger of hers and felt it kick back in her hands.

She heard, with some satisfaction, the painful groan as Horus crumpled to the ground, but she was unable to keep herself awake anymore and welcomed the rushing darkness with open arms.

**-oOo-**

Chloe knew she was still alive as her whole body felt like it was on fire. Every muscle she moved seemed to be a torment, but by the second day she was able to open her eyes.

The first thing she had seen was the face of her godfather. She had no clue as to how she had ended up at the hospital, but she was grateful to find herself still alive and in the company of the one man she could call family.

At first, Chloe had demanded to know what had happened, Jerome had forced her to lie down before explaining that a monk had carried her into the hospital, staying only to explain that she had been beaten by a Bishop Regis Horus, who would be found dead at Sevérin Church.

Chloe hadn't been surprised to find that Silas hadn't stuck around, but she was a little surprised that he had gone out of his way to take her to the hospital. Did he somehow feel guilty because he had not believed her in the first place? Yes, that would be it; it wouldn't have been because he cared about her at all. It was all to save his own soul. But something deep inside told her that might not be true.

Days past as Chloe was left to heal. Fache had come to visit her and explained that he had been given his job back on probation since it turned out Silas did help lead them to the Council's key members. Aringarosa had also felt free to sing like a canary once he realised Horus could not touch him now and all the other members fell one by one. Chloe got an honourable mention and an award which she thought was a pathetic attempt to make it seem like she was supported the whole time by both the DCPJ and the Church. But she was just glad it was all over and she could return home as soon as she was ready. Jerome had made the preparation to have her apartment fixed up and in the mean time she would stay with him until it was ready. But there was just one loose end that bugged Chloe endlessly. Silas. She wanted to see him, she didn't know why; she didn't know what she would say to him. She supposed she should thank him for helping her escape, but then he had knocked her out cold in the first place. Then there was the kiss back in Les Lilas, but she could hardly think of it without recalling how he had pushed her into the bathroom. The kiss had meant nothing to him; it had all been part of his escape plan, so why did she dream of it every night. True it was a fair sight better then the old nightmare she used to have of Horus, but it still confused and frustrated her.

It was on her sixth day in hospital when she awoke to find not Jerome sitting beside her, but a man in robes and sandaled feet. Silas was sitting uncomfortable beside her bed, inspecting the vase of sunflowers on her bedside table, sent to her by Jerome.

"I didn't think you'd come" Chloe croaked. Her voice still raw. Silas jumped but tried to hide it by scratching his shoulder.

"I did not think I would come either. But I suppose I needed to thank you for saving my life" he added.

"And I suppose I need to thank you for saving mine" she replied, mildly sarcastically, "So now you've gotten that out of your system, you can go" she added harshly. She didn't know where the sudden temper came from, but she was annoyed that after all this time, he only wanted to settle his conscious.

Silas looked taken aback, then angry, "What do you mean?"

"It doesn't matter" Chloe snapped, "Only I wouldn't have needed you to save my life had you not escaped back in Les Lilas"

"And I would not have needed you to save mine if you had not have kidnapped me in the first place" he growled.

Chloe sighed in frustration and rested her sore head down on the soft pillow, "We're so pathetic" she muttered. Silas shifted his feet and leaned back on the chair.

"I am sorry I did not believe you" Silas said quietly, "And f-for…hitting you" he stretched.

"Don't worry about it" Chloe muttered, "It's over now, I can move on with my life"

Both sat in silence for a minute or two, just revelling in the others company until the quiet got too much for Silas and he got to his feet to excuse himself.

"Will you come back?" Chloe asked before she could stop herself. Silas looked surprised at first, but then gave a small smile which surprised Chloe. "I will" he said and left her alone.

**-oOo-**

Almost two weeks later, Chloe was finally ready to return home, she had suffered a few fractured ribs and a lot of cuts and bruises, there were still significant bruising on her face and arms, not to mention a prominent black eye that had only just started to turn yellow, but she was finding it easier and less painful to move about and was finally on her feet.

Silas didn't visit Chloe whilst she was staying with her godfather; in fact she didn't hear anything from him since that one visit in the hospital. Chloe tried to convince herself not to care, but she took the lack of interest in her recovery quite to heart and figured the monk had simply moved on with his life.

When her apartment was finally ready, Chloe moved back in, her home was distinctively different, the fresh smell of paint lingered in the air, but the burglary had been a good excuse to clear out all her old furniture and have fresh sofas and tables around her once dingy home. As she sat on her new leather sofa, Jerome walked around the rooms, making sure nothing was out of place and that no one was hiding behind the curtains. Once he was convinced that Chloe would come to no harm on her own in her apartment, he left, not forgetting to leave a bottle of wine he had brought for the occasion.

Chloe smiled as she poured herself a glass and sat in the welcoming silence. Finally for a long time, she felt free and almost happy. That terrible black cloud had moved on and she could see nothing but sunshine in the immediate future, of course she would have to deal with the paper work and attend a few trials about the past few days, but once that was over, she could start living again, but there was just one part of her old like that she wanted to keep a hold off, so she got up from her sofa, leaving the half-empty glass of wine and got into her rental car (her own car back at the garage for repairs) and made her way towards Saint Sulpice. The sky was already dark by four in the evening which made the church loom more then ever, but she hobbled painfully up the steps towards the church and was enveloped by the inviting warmth of the torches and subtle soft lighting of the hallways. She found the pews empty, save for one elderly woman praying in the front row; carefully she sat herself down a few more rows back, where she had the last time.

She found her eyes resting on the alter in front and feeling a warmth spread through her limbs as she settled comfortably against the wooden pew. She heard movement down the aisle and saw a shadow move to her left as a figure in a robe settled next to her, his pale hands clasped on his lap. Chloe gingerly moved herself to sit more upright, hissing at a sharp pain in her ribs.

"Are you feeling well?" Silas asked.

"As well as can be" Chloe replied, she looked at the monk who was starring at her with something like compassion in his red eyes, "You said you would visit"

Silas looked down sheepishly, "I am sorry. Since Bishop Aringarosa has gotten back on his feet he has kept me very busy"

"To be honest I would have been surprised if you had turned up" said Chloe, "Besides I interrogated you, I kidnapped you, why would you care?" she added.

"I don't know, but I do" Silas answered. Chloe caught his eye for a moment and saw the same lost expression in his eyes that had been there the second he had kissed her back in Les Lilas. There was just one thing she needed him to know.

"I'm not angry with you anymore, for what you did back at the motel in Les Lilas. You found a weakness and you exploited it to escape, I understand" she said, more to the floor then to Silas, who was clearly starring at the side of her head as she spoke.

Then he surprised her and leaned a little further towards her, "I must confess something to you" he said, Chloe starred at him, "It only occurred to me to escape whilst we were…" he faltered, obviously rather embarrassed.

Chloe felt momentarily shocked, but she leaned back against the back of the pew and sighed, "What does this mean?" she asked.

Silas copied her action, "I don't know, but I cannot think of not seeing you again"

Chloe felt a small smile pull at her lips, "I feel the same"

However Silas looked more disturbed and anxious, he turned to face Chloe, "But you must understand, I am a man of God, I have lived this life for so long I don't think I could survive in your world. Do you think you could give me time?" he asked.

Chloe felt overwhelmed with his sudden openness and smiled, "I've lived in fear for so long, I need time to find myself too" she said. Silas nodded and with a few seconds hesitation, he lifted his hand out of his lap and let it rest on her own, then with a smile they both looked up at the crucifix, feeling like life was about to get a little better.

**THE END**

**-oOo-**

**Ohio-isn'tfor-lovers - I wrote as fast as my little fingers could go! I was really looking forward to writing this chappie, not just coz it's the last one, but I love the ending with Chloe and Silas.**

**Chloe04 - Hey, thanks. Always a pleasure to hear how much you're enjoying my story.**

**Hugmuffin666 - I just had to add one last cliffie on this fic, little evil me!**

**Sword Pen - Hey, thanks. Considering she's my own design, I really appreciate the positive intake on Chloe. She's a kick-arse female.**

**Pampers Baby Dry - As I said above, I tried to get this one up asap, coz I know how fustrating it is to have someone write a cliffie and not update until about two months later. Grr!**

**phoenixrisingGhostLoveScore - Hey hun. I am so wanting some of those cookies!**

**Mish - I did wonder who might get the connection between the rapist and Bishop Horus, well done! And I do have a secret passion for cliff hangers as well.**

**fugaziclash - Well Silas doesn't disappoint, he totally kicked Bishop arse on this one! Thanks for reviewing.**

**Moonlight-Sonata-Xx - Thanks for the review, hopefully this chappie is up to your standards, let me know!**

**A/N: Phew! I've finally finished this story, which I think is probably my favourite, but then I haven't done many and have a lot of ideas floating about in my brain it might explode! But seriously, thanks for reviewing, especially to phoenixrising GhostLoveScore and Possessed-Gummy-Bear-Inferno, who've been there pretty much since the beginning, you rock guys! Peace out.**


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